J. Corey Francis

Not that you need the reminder, but it is Monday. Like most of you, I got up, made coffee, and turned on some music just to get my day started. The rest of the house sleeps later than I do, so headphones were on. Through their speakers played a long familiar song, one I grew up hearing often.

Take 5 by Dave Brubeck.

This is the song that started it all for me. My father was a fan of the west coast jazz scene. Paul Desmond. Gerry Mulligan. Art Pepper. These are the saxophone players I heard as a kid as my dad spun their vinyls in our living room. Of all the songs played, Take 5 always stuck with me.

Maybe it was the odd meter compared the common time songs most often heard, outlined by the syncopated accents after beats one and two. Or, maybe it was something about how cool the ensemble played it. Desmond’s sound captured me. It was playful, yet confident. Whatever it was, the song had me intoxicated.

It’s because of Take 5 I choose saxophone. It is because I choose saxophone that I played in band. And it is because of band that I choose to be a music educator. So, I owe a lot to this song, and to my dad. One of my fondest memories is playing Take 5 on my senior recital. I did it for my dad and myself. Nothing else mattered.

He passed away 8 years ago this June, on National Bourbon Day. Never has a day been more perfectly suited for such a memory. He and I share a love for bourbon and for music that no one else in the family can match. I miss him as much now and I did then, but his influence is still felt.

Over the last few years, my passion for playing has been reignited. More and more everyday I am looking for a reason and for time to pull out the saxophone he bought me in 1998. But, what also have returned is my enjoyment of Cool Jazz, and Take 5. The memories of sitting in the living room with dad as he listened to records sit fresh in my mind. With a daughter about to graduate high school, I hope she will have similar fond memories of hanging with me just because.

Tonight, the tunes will play. Maybe over speakers or headphones. And bourbon will be in hand. May music be the fuel my soul continues to consume.