"Afterwards take a piece of smooth ivory..." ~ Jane Eyre

Yesterday evening I had "Venus De Milo" by Miles Davis on repeat in my stereo.

I needed a break from Christmas carols, and Davis was a good remedy.

Each time I hear this piece, my mind immediately pictures a jazz club in the city; an underground space that is tight with tables scrunched together. Davis is not the jazz of Sunday morning brunches; it is the jazz of the Saturday set at midnight.

Tomorrow I will be doing an entire lesson on jazz in my American Lit classes. We are starting The Great Gatsby, so I thought a nice way to end before vacation would be an entire period filled with music. Since Fitzgerald coined the phrase "The Jazz Age" in the 1920's, it seems only fitting to introduce Fitz this way.

My father is the one I thank for introducing me to jazz music. Part of his Christmas present this year will involve us going to hear some Cajun jazz in the city. My brother-in-law loves playing jazz on Sunday mornings and in pre-Jack days went to jazz venues often. Its great to be surrounded by the music. I shall never understand those who say they "don't like jazz." How can you not like jazz? I think Carrie is so annoying on the "Sex and the City" episode when she tells the jazz musician she is dating that she doesnt like jazz.

Most of my favorite nights out involve listening to jazz music. There was non-prom night when Sarah and I went to the Vanguard and heard James Carter. There was the night she and I were also in Nawlins and saw The Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf, and then the night we saw them at BB King's here in New York. There was the night Craig put on Jaco Pastorius and it wasn't turned off until early morning.

I think Jazz is going to be part of my New Year's resolution for 2006...

Finding a man who not only knows something about jazz, but who would also appreciate going to jazz clubs with me, would be the birth of something cool. A man who appreciates the steady rhythms in the music but also enjoys the occasional improvisation; a man who understands the diversity in the genre and can appreciate it at all of its points.

And if I do not this year, than I remain patient until I do find him. And in the meantime will just have to recall my favorite lines from a musical: Oh, I'm no one's wife and oh I love my life and all that jazz...