by Matt Mandracchia, Frenchtown, NJ

My father received a full scholarship to Julliard for voice. He had a baritone, a beautiful voice. He turned down the scholarship back in the ’50s and decided to go to Columbia and run a go-cart business in South Beach Staten Island. He was a Jazz HOUND and loved all Jazz, from Miles, to Dizzy to Ella to Mulligan to Wes Montgomery. He would take us shopping for records in the 60’s and 70’s and “us kids” developed a taste for rock. Chicago, Zeppelin, Bread, Crosby Stills Nash, Allman Brothers, James Taylor, Carole King… and always in the background or when we were told “MY turn” we heard Jazz, Miles Bitches Brew, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Gene Beroncini…

Something always playing on our pretty nice Harmon Kardon stereo…. Then death struck and we were left with hundreds of Jazz albums and many memories, but only had rock to get us thru as we were too young to really realize the intricacies and the art of Jazz. So we stuck with what we knew and expanded with new bands such as Elvis Costello, Devo, Squeeze, Tom Petty, Talk Talk. Tubes. Was this PUNK it wasn’t the Pistols? Radio liked it and played it…

As we got more angry about death we began listening to harder rock, Judas Priest, Pat Travers, Rush, Van Halen, more Zeppelin…. And as we came to an understanding of life we began listening to Echo, Cure, Smiths, Lloyd Cole…

Then came professional success and professional life in the big city and what also came was Grunge… STP, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden….and the others Black Crowes, Green Day, Collective Soul, more Echo (was it rock, was it alternative?)..

And now in the middle stages of life we (ME) have an extensive catalog of music in my mind to refer to. This past year brings us a new baby (a boy) my first at 44 years old and FINALLY a more complete understanding and enjoyment of Jazz, and….regretfully, a dissolusionment with Rock, unsure where it is headed today….but more willing than ever to let radio like XPN now lead the way and guide me so we don’t lose our heart and soul….