steve sharples
some wise words from red mitchell
a note to myself
you are your greatest composition
the one folks hear when they hear your name
you are your spirits own physician
the one who heals yourself as a daily game
you can't create yourself that jobs been done
you can compose yourself its kind of fun
you are the people you have turned too
and you are the one who does what you do
your major work of art is you
a bit about me
a maths teacher who loved jazz
parents who wanted me to learn about music
and friends who taught me about jazz
and the written word
listened to Bird, Pres, Dizzy and Miles
Mulligan, Brubeck, Kenton and the MJQ
and others too numerous to talk about
and every night I would listen to VOA's
'Jazz Hour'
read the words of Jack K, Corso
and the great beat writers
and 'Under Milk Wood'
Heard JJ and wanted to play trombone
read Ginsberg and wanted to write poetry
instead I went to Africa
and played on radio and tv
and saw racial discrimination
and hatred
and learnt about systems
that controlled things
came back to london
and designed systems that helped people
went to galleries, lots of concerts
and to Ronnie Scotts
saw and heard everything I could
discovered buildings and shapes
and glass and lights
and shops like conrans
came to the west midlands
and found out what you could do with
hops and malt and yeast and water
designed more systems
discovered birmingham's cultural desert
yearned for sanity
found it in the green of the country
and town called bishops castle
later went back to london
more music, visual things and people
joined a political party
worked with the voters
and hard for my ideals
but didnt get elected though
for a while became
part of the establishment
joined a london club
still designed systems
lived in the leafy lanes of surrey
in a green and pleasent land
my office and the london sprawl
I saw from the top of the hill
went for walks and long drives
sat outside the house of
ralph vaughan-williams
and thought about english music
one day I had a phone call
please come and work for us it said
ok I said
and back to the edge of the black country I came
went all over the place
england, scotland , wales, ireland and
europe
telling people how to use their systems
went to cork
and its international jazz festval
to listen to mulligan, brubeck
and red mitchell
had a simple camera
took loads of photographs
some good
was offered an exhibition
didnt know what to say
me a photographer not a systems designer
wow
sad - my company who wanted me so bad
downsized
for me it was a new life
went to night school to study photography
got a certificate
and a very few commissions
but managed to live
photographed some strange things
lace and breweries and coopers
it was time for me to learn and go to university
but first I went to work in france
as a holiday rep
patroling crowds of nude english tourists
sunning themselves on the sands
of cap d'age
taking loads of photographs too
spent the last few weeks
looking at street markets
eating long french loaves
with local butter
September came
wow
me at university
I was lucky
only did year 3
studied photography under nick hedges
and learnt about just in time production
came down with lots to do
nothing planned
one friday I had a phone call
how would you like to teach photography?
when?
on monday
ok
with much trepidation
I started a new life
teaching nice people how to use their cameras
Found the Birmingham jazz scene
of tony dudley-evans and alan cross
listened to the minor US stars,
local hero's andy hamlton and the blue notes
and discovered the bass clarinet of david murray
and the explosive percussion of nana vasconcelos
took hundreds of photographs
went and watched black and white films
and gene hackman
met judy danes from mac
showed her 150 photographs
lets put together an exhibition she suggested
exhibited alongside matisse and his jazz posters
trailed the photographs round the country
heard lots of nice words
still taught people how to take photographs
had a phone call from roger protz
would you like to do a book with me? he asked
mmmmmmmm, I said
went to Orkney and fell in love
with standing stones,
oystercatchers and wild coastline
and lovely sunsets
drove over 20,000 miles around our beautiful country
took many rolls of film
later came 'country ales and breweries'
taught all ages about photography
still take many photographs of musicians,
of breweries and pubs
of flowers and of scenery
for fun and happiness
and books
and cd covers
and magazines
and calendars
and greetings cards
and peoples walls
and I still listen to music