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Thriving on a Riff: Jazz and the Spiritual Life
William G. Carter
© 2023

Introduction: Counting Off the Tempo

1. The Wow Moment: The Possibility of Sonic Transcendence

Improvisation: Ebo’s Waltz

2. What Are They Doing? An Introduction to Jazz

Improvisation: Tale Spinning

3. Crossing the Dotted Line: Discerning Sacred and Secular

Improvisation: Mind the Gap

4. A Message from Headquarters

Improvisation: Listening for Selah

5. The Sparks and Flames of Human Creativity

Improvisation: Refracted Light

6. Broken But Beautiful: What It Means to Be Human

Improvisation: Lesson in Dissonance

7. That Healin’ Feeling: The Soundtrack of Restoration

Improvisation: What About the Legs?

8. Prayers Lifted on a Saxophone

Improvisation: Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Coltrane’s Ascension

9. Babel and Bebop: The End Was in the Beginning

Improvisation: Another Uncle

10. Jazz and Our Hidden Wound

Improvisation: Hell-Bent

11. The Hang: Grooving in Community

Improvisation: How Many Musicians Are In Your Quartet?

12. Paying Back the Universe: Swinging with Purpose

Improvisation: Somebody’s Calling

13. Jazz in the Cathedral and Other Great Ideas

Improvisation: Homily from the 50^th Anniversary of the Guaraldi Mass

14. Does This Song Ever End?

Improvisation: Are You Going to Talk About Heaven?

Appendices

Glossary of Jazz Terms

Recommended Recordings

Acknowledgments

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