Why are blind people such good musicians?

The most famous blind people in history include Homer (author of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.”), Louis Braille (creator of Braille), Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Doc Watson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and about fifty other fantastic musicians, oh and Helen Keller… who could apparently play the shit out of a harmonica. Why are blind people such good musicians? The popular theory is that being deprived of the sense of sight heightens their other senses, especially hearing. The ability to hear well apparently correlates to being a good musician. Or so they say.

I have a different theory. Blind musicians are predominantly male and believe me, this is not a coincidence. Blind boys have it tough enough to begin with, but once they hit puberty, they have the same urges as every other guy. The problem is, blind kids can’t play sports, or drive fancy cars, or do most of the other things adolescent guys do to try and get laid. (Let me emphasize the “try” because lord knows I played a lot of sports and passed my road test with flying colors and it didn’t do me a lick of good. ) Blind kids have to be creative in order to get a little action; their outlet is music. Because after all, chicks dig a guy in a band, even a guy who can’t see. Lord knows, Clarence Carter wasn’t “Strokin’” it all his life – my man was making love “at the dark end of the street.” Dude was a straight pimp, same with Ray Charles, and probably most of these fellows. Well maybe not…

…The Blind Boys of Alabama. They fit the talented blind musician criteria, but they’re very religious and also like 120 years old. Despite having bones with the consistency of dust, these guys still never cease to amaze me. My buddy Steve introduced me to them in college and I was blown away the first time I saw them perform “Amazing Grace.” It’s gospel done right. Trust. If you’ve never seen the Blind Boys, check out this youtube clip:

Amazing Grace (after watching it again, I take it all back, these guys, religious convictions aside, must be rolling in the booty.)

On the subject of blind gospel musicians, I’d be remiss not to discuss Marcus Roberts. He is without a doubt, one of the best jazz pianists in the world. He’s also blind and probably nails his fair share of cuties. If you like jazz or you want to like jazz or even if you just love a good piano player, I implore you to go out and buy Marcus Roberts’, “In Honor of Duke (Ellington).” It is one of my top five all-time favorite jazz albums, right up there with “Kind of Blue” “A Love Supreme” and “Ah-Um.” It’s really that good. Now, I know enough about jazz to appreciate something incredible, but perhaps not enough to wax poetically on the subject. I’m going to let Marcus Roberts do some of the work for me:

“In Honor of Duke is not a tribute. To me, a tribute implies that the value of what you’re paying tribute to has little current or future relevance. The relevance of Edward Kennedy Ellington’s legacy is eternal; thus, this recording is a celebration of the powerful influence and undeniable impact the has had on the entire jazz lineage.”

Rather than cover Ellington songs, Roberts and his trio wrote a unique suite inspired by and in admiration of Duke Ellington. On the album, Roberts is helping to revolutionize the concept of the jazz trio. Again, I’ll let Roberts explain himself:

“My trio concept is simple. It takes issue with the traditional notion that the bass and drums in the trio simply accompany, providing support, and soloing only at the end of a tune, if at all. I believe that the future of the modern jazz piano trio lies in its ability to be completely flexible in all elements of musical style. Therefore, my arrangements allow each player to transition instantaneously from the role of accompanist to soloist. In addition, each musician, whether an accompanist or soloist, can at any time change the motion and conceptual direction of the music.”

So on the album, drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Roland Guerin have the opportunity to take control of the song at any point in time. It’s cool to listen for this during the tracks. Not only are drum and bass solos taken at interesting times, but both musicians will at times, take the reigns of the entire song.

Now jazz is not for everyone. Some people hate it and some people like it only as background music. This album can either be pleasant ambience or given a considerable amount of attention, an adrenaline pumping experience. When my friend Greg (M.F.G.) introduced me to the album, he made me sit down and listen to the whole thing all at once. That’s the way to do it, after all, it is a suite. By the end, I found myself totally rapt when Roberts builds into a body shaking, gospel inspired, notes-a-flyin’ solo (see “The Beauty of the Spirit” to really get understand the gospel connection and power of Roberts’ piano). It’s still in regular rotation in my CD player and still continues to amaze and inspire me. This album is contemporary jazz at its finest.

Marcus Roberts