Struggles of an Improviser: How High The Moon

You worked on the melody
The chords
The tempo
sounds dull
–yes, boring
Listen to Bud Powell do it
Again and again and again and
Sounds right
Flowing
Yeah, Bud’s got it right
no cornball Les Paul
Mary Ford
Plink plink
Lenny told you
The right hand independent and dependent on the left hand
Improvise
Create
Do something beside safe
Safe is correct
Lacks style
Listen to Bud again
Lines choppy
It’s not connecting
You’re lost
Changes fragmented
Twenty hours
Sounds like no sound
Is Bud hearing you from another time
Cringing
Come on work it
Major seventh
Minor seventh
Seventh
Concentrate
Know where you are
Know were you are
Make music
2003