Simple and complex

Our new quintet got together for a run through some new numbers last night. What with holidays etc, it seemed ages since we had played together, and we were all looking forward to it.

But first we had to have 'a meeting'. We'd been negotiating with the venue to continue to use one of the 20 or so practice rooms that stand empty for most of the time. It have been should be so simple: Music Education Centre with empty rooms + group of musicians who participate in the learning programmes needing space to practice = everbody happy. Three weeks ago we thought we had a deal, but new conditions and provisos have been introduced.

Anyway we talked around in circles for a while and took much longer that we needed to come to a simple decision.

Then we played music, exploring together the new material - the complex rhythms of Afro Blue, the difficult chord changes of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. It was wonderful. We are clearly much better at making music than having meetings.

I was reminded the wise words of Charles Mingus:
'Making the simple complex is commonplace; making the complex simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity'.