Although Pa Curmudgeon has been following jazz since before my advent, I only got serious in my mid-20s. The wife of a fellow seminarian, Pam York, is a Berklee-trained jazz pianist; when I asked her for help, she loaned me the recordings of Miles Davis' first quintet and an introductory essay by one of her professors. Active on the local scene in San Diego county, she was also gracious enough to let me tag along to a few gigs and festivals.
Thanks to the now-long-gone Columbia and BMG music clubs, I began tracking Miles Davis through the decades at the price of only one CD for twelve. I quickly realized, though, that I would never, ever, ever be able to build up my own library to the extent I would need to really get a good grasp on the form. Thankfully, I was called to Denver, home of one of the nation's premier jazz stations, KUVO. I joined literally the week I made the move here in 1999 and have renewed each year since. After all, for only $89 a year, KUVO gives me access to a jazz library far out of my reach, and quite affordably, too.
Since I joined KUVO to save money on CDs, it's a tad ironic I ended up winning the drawing for 48 albums earlier this month, and got to record a promo in the bargain. Pa Curmudgeon is denying his envy even as I write.
