Chapter 224 (1/2)
Volume 7 / Chapter 224
TL: LightNovelCafe
Editor: adkji
John Steinbeck, famous for ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ was from Monterey peninsula, the oldest city in California. It has cliffs and sand dunes formed through waves and winds and a coast covered in rocks.
Monterey once flourished but traces of it can only be found in museums. Now, it is only a symbol of John Steinbeck and the 3 day 2 night jazz festival.
The jazz festival opens at Monterey Fairgrounds on a total of 8 stages with more than 500 famous jazz artists participating from Friday night at 6 to midnight and over the weekend from 11 in the morning to midnight. They offer soul-stealing melodies for almost 12 hours.
2 jazz greats were having a glass of wine early in the morning in a studio in LA, in order to participate in the festival.
“Trust me. You can just leave it to where Jun’s piano leads. Then, I’m telling you that time passes really quickly.”
“It’s to that point? Listening to the album, it felt like it was your bass that was leading the music.”
“That’s the really fascinating thing about it. When you play with Jun, you lose a sense of who is leading whom. And when you look at him, you can tell that he’s forgetting where he is and is just lost in the music.”
Stanley Clarke recalled the day that he spent a great time lost in jazz with Jun Hyuk.
“But, look at the result. I was the only one running with it and Jun’s piano matched the balance perfectly.”
“Isn’t he the type to calculate everything when he performs? Like me?”
Lee Carlton is a fusion jazz musician who mixes rock into his music, rather than playing traditional free jazz. His style was to add a little improv into completed music rather than performing in improv. So, he plays music that is easy for anyone to fall for, even those who are not jazz fanatics.
“No. Jun told me after we played that he tasted the first peak moments.”
“Then, does that mean his ears are just open? Regardless of his will?”
“He isn’t called a genius for nothing. Honestly, no matter how others call us genius musicians, we know. We laid our abilities as a base and got here through effort. But that’s not
the case for Jun. Every single cell in his body is made with talent.” Stanley Clarke kept praising Jun Hyuk.
“Anyway, do as I say. Jun will bring out the potential in you that you didn’t even know about.”
As the two men slowly got drunk, Jun Hyuk opened the studio door and stuck his head
in.”
“Oh my God! Jun!”
“Stanley!”
Stanley Clarke put his wine glass down and hugged Jun Hyuk.
“It’s been a really long time, hasn’t it? Every time I performed in New York, you were abroad.”
“Is that so? Are you sure you didn’t come when I wasn’t there on purpose? Ha ha.”
They have only met once but shared a precious experience that left them as though they are friends forever, so there are no walls of skin color, age, knowledge, or meetings between the two of them.
“When did you get here? You should have called in advance.”
“I just got here. I’m coming here directly from the airport.”
Stanley Clarke was so glad to see Jun Hyuk again that he forgot Lee Carlton was next to him. When he saw Jun Hyuk smile as he saw Lee Carlton approaching them, he snapped his finger as he spoke,
“Oh right. Look at me. It’s the first time you two are meeting, right?”
“Mr. Carlton, it’s an honor.”
Lee Carlton took the hand that Jun Hyuk held out to him and shook it.
“Leave the Mr. out. You can just call me Lee. Is it okay if I just call you Jun? Or do I have to say Maestro Jun? Ha ha.”
Jun Hyuk remembered the picture on the album cover he released 25 years ago. A gentle, manly, and handsome young man has become a middle aged man with thinned out blonde hair.
Stanley Clarke handed Jun Hyuk a glass of wine as well, and complimented him on all of his accomplishments since the last time they saw each other.
“I felt like a fool because I had been so happy thinking that the next jazz god had appeared. I almost pushed Beethoven to go on the path of jazz. It’s a good thing we haven’t met since that day.”
“The most thrill I felt while in the U.S. was when I was performing with you. I didn’t even get that feeling when I was conducting the New York Philharmonic.”
“Really? Then, let’s forget all of this about being a maestro and go on a playing tour with me. What do you think?”
“Well… You don’t know me yet. Both are possible. He he.”
“What? You lost all of your modesty ever since you picked up a baton? Ha ha.”
The 3 of them joked around and kept drinking wine. When the new bottle of wine was about to be empty, they started discussing the performance approaching them.
“You know the performance schedule?”
“Yes. From Saturday at 5 in the afternoon. I heard that it’s an hour and a half. Did you decide on a repertoire?”
“No, not yet. We waited to pick with you.”
Lee Carlton looked at Jun Hyuk, who was a little flushed because of the alcohol.
“Is there something you like about my music?”
“I didn’t hear everything to the live performances, but I know everything that was released in an album. I did watch the live performances that weren’t included on albums through
YouTube, but not all of them. Anyway, I don’t know if I can ask this, but I would like to perform
Early A.M. Attitude and Room with you.”
Jun Hyuk said the 2 songs he likes most out of Lee Carlton’s.
“Of course, it’s okay. Those 2 songs can be played on the piano too. Your piano will make them shine.”
“Oh right. I should have told you in advance, but I wanted to play the guitar this time instead of the piano. What do you think?”
“The guitar?”
“Right. I was forgetting that Jun’s great at the guitar too. Ha ha.”
Lee Carlton was surprised by mention of Jun Hyuk’s guitar, but Stanley Clarke cut in.