Keeping An Open Mind

"To be a great musician, you've got to be open to what's new, what's happening at the moment. You have to be able to absorb it if you're going to continue to grow and communicate."--Miles Davis (1926-1991), jazz trumpeter.

Quoted in Black Pearls: Daily Meditations, Affirmations, and Inspirations for African-Americans by Eric V. Copage (Quill/William Morrow and Company, 1993).

The above photo is of the storied New York jazz venue, the Village Vanguard. Miles Davis was one of many iconic jazz musicians who performed there.

A Jazz Portrait: Nina Simone

Nina Simone (1933-2003), born Eunice Kathleen Waymon. She was called by her admirers the High Priestess of Soul. Her many talents included singer, pianist, and songwriter ("Mississippi Goddam"). Simone was also a noted civil rights activist. This portrait of Simone is by Armando Alleyne (born in November 1959), an artist who lives in Brooklyn, New York.