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Miles Over Midsummer Commons - Page 2

© Thomas James Martin

Progressive and modern jazz are extremely popular now in many of the great cities of Europe. Ragtime--which they call New Orleans Jazz--is also played in a lot of clubs. There are quite a few black musicians playing in these clubs also, many of whom are former soldiers.

I am partial to those trumpet solos though. Miles seems to hit chords deep within me. I think it's partially due to being the military and being so far from home. I don't know how to express the way I feel sometimes. Somehow Miles' trumpet echoes those lonely, bluesy feelings that I get sometimes. It's like there is someone else who understands somehow how alone you can feel deep in your soul sometimes.

I mean, Gwyn, I am always around people. It's so hard when you are a troop to find any time or space where you can be alone. I live in the barracks in a room with five other people, great guys though I don't truly identify with them very much.

Sometimes though, late in the evening, I hear a little bit of that trumpet filtering through the walls from the room next door where one of my black friends lives. I often go to sleep to t he strains of Bye Bye Blackbird or Green Dolphin Street.

That music makes me wonder who I am, why I am here and why is it so lonely here even when there's so many other people talking around me. I am not sure if Miles is playing music for comfort. He probably wouldn't like my talking about his music in that way. I suspect from what little I know about him that he's a questioning, probing type of person, stretching himself to find that true originality of spirit in the depth of his art.

Well, I am going on a bit, aren't I. Sorry, but you know how I am, just have to let somebody know how I feel, especially someone who I love as much as you.

Well, hope to see you this summer, and in the meantime, we have these letters, I suppose.

Take care.

Love,

Alex

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05 January 19__
Midsummer Commons
Cambridge, U.K.

Dear Alex,

I loved your last letter. I am so glad that we met that morning at the hotel on Russell Square and managed to see each other a few times before you went back to Frankfurt. I shall always remember the Hotel Belgique and sitting in the Square with you with the leaves falling all around us.

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