Sunday, December 05, 2010

kabbalah and jazz

The article, Kabbalah and Jazz: The Mystical Foundation of Improvisational Music reminded me of the film Happy Feet and how every penguin has their own unique heartsong when it says:
In his great work To Heal the Soul, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira wrote that all humans each have their own unique musical ladder -- a distinct melody that allows one to draw down spiritual sustenance into this world. This melody is exclusive and in essence can not be performed by anyone else. He believes that it is so individualized that to use someone else's ladder is like putting someone else's saliva into your mouth to sing. This concept is so ubiquitous, so universal, that Rebbe Nachman of Breslov went as far as to say that each and every blade of grass has its own unique melody as well.

For more reflections on jazz and spirituality from an Islamic perspective.
all that jazz...
the writings of yusef lateef
the philosophy of ahmed abdul-malik

1 comment:

Ben said...

Interesting article.

It reminds me of Elizabeth Gilbert Ted's talk.

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

I would even think that through that 'music ladder', some outside entities can be channeled down... Very much like the allegorical use of the 'rainman' / 'umbrella' in music and popular culture.