The Leaf Has a Song

From ‘Couleurs”

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What can I say that I have not said before?

So I’ll say it again.

The leaf has a song in it.

Stone is the face of patience.

Inside the river there is an unfinishable story and you are somewhere in it and it will never end until all ends.

Take your busy heart to the art museum and the chamber of commerce

but take it also to the forest.

The song you heard singing in the leaf when you were a child is singing still.

I am of years lived, so far, seventy-four, and the leaf is singing still.

~ Mary Oliver

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I was always a fan of Ray Charles’ piano playing, Aretha Franklin’s piano playing, Bobbie Nelson, who just passed — her piano playing. Those and Bill Evans are my top four piano players who I have always tried to imitate in some way.

The influence comes from, simply, listening to all their records…More than anything I wanted to sound like myself, and I think I pulled it off on that record, even at such a young age.

~ Norah Jones

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Rock as it is known today just doesn’t interest me at all. I hate commercial music. If I hear that…