Ballads During the Day

And why it’s the perfect fall time activity.

The fall is a particularly magical time of year. It marks the transition from a time of outward growth and productivity to one of rest and introspection. Alternatively, one could see it like this: It’s getting darker and colder outside which somehow makes us all want to curl up and, well, it rhymes with “pie”.

Both interpretations can be true at the same time and I for one love any excuse to enjoy some good old fashioned solitude and melancholy.

Some may default to depression but I choose melancholy. Depression doesn’t have any creative energy to it and doesn’t lead to any useful thoughts. That’s why melancholy is so much cooler than depression. Melancholy is sadness due to the impermanence of happiness. It’s knowing that joy is a feeling that comes at the peak of a cycle that will inevitably turn to its equal and opposite un-joyous trough. And this is the only way it can be.

Autumn is time when we are still in the joy part of the cycle but coming down from the peak. It’s a time when we organize our recent memories into stories of meaning. After all, we experienced rebirth in the spring and growth over the summer. Now is the time to pull the chlorophyl, our lessons and experiences, out of our leaves and to integrate them into the roots of who we are.

When I was much younger marijuana taught me a valuable lesson. I woke up one morning to an empty house. My parents were at work and my sister away with friends. I had the place to myself for the rest of the day. I decided I would smoke a bowl and do all kinds of stuff that I love to do, but high.

I made a stack of Bisquick pancakes, smothered them in maple syrup, and plated them on the kitchen table next to a cup of coffee. Then I went outside to smoke, knowing that high me would be very grateful that normal me already had breakfast waiting for him.

Five minutes later I sat staring (with bloodshot eyes) at the most disgusting, unhealthy, mess of a meal that I had ever seen. Something about being stoned gave my body a voice and it said hell no to that pile of half-cooked batter and Mrs. Buttersworth. I literally threw the pancakes down the garbage disposal and had a glass of water for breakfast.

Instead of the loud mood that I had anticipated, I spent the morning watering plants and listening to jazz ballads.

Ballads during the day. Sounds crazy, right? I’m telling you, it’s the antidote. With a combination of major tonalities (“happy chords”) and slower tempos, ballads are perfect for melancholic pondering while taking in the crystalline autumn sunlight (or rain) bouncing off of orange, yellow, and red leaves.

With that, here are three tunes to enjoy with a cup of tea (or a gummy, your choice) and a window with a view on an Autumn day:

Bill Evans’ version of “Gary’s Theme” was the inspiration for this post. Every autumn I put his trio’s You Must Believe In Spring into the rotation. The whole album is like this. Just beautiful.

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Allan Holdsworth’s The Sixteen Men of Tain is an album like no other. Incredible fusion guitar with acoustic bass and open drumming. “Above and Below” is a unique sounding ballad and the shimmering reverb on the head-out just puts the cherry on top.

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While maybe not as ballady as the above two tracks, “Starmaker” off of Roy Hargrove’s Earfood fits the fall theme perfectly. There are some serious ballads on this album. This is one of those records where if you don’t like it you might be dead?