The Mountain Jam Experience

My Week #39 Submission

I’ll begin with a quote from our Headliner, Long Live the ABB Dr. Bob Beatty’s book, Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East.

“While Duane didn’t model the Allman Brothers Band after the Grateful Dead, the San Francisco band was the Allman Brothers’ closest corallary, and from their earliest days, people compared the bands…

“The Dead were among the bands that ushered in the rock era in America. The Allman Brothers Band followed in their wake. Rock was an evolution of popular music that transformed rock ‘n’ roll from dance music to music experienced live.”

I hail from Southern Georgia, right in between Macon and Jacksonville, FL — less than 90 miles from The Big House itself. But I didn’t really grow up as an ABB fan. A couple of my buddies that went to Georgia Southern were really into them. But I was more into the rap and punk rock scenes that were emerging in the 90’s. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I’d gotten a proper introduction. And that had been deep into a trip 🍄 while listening to The Dead.

It wasn’t until I heard Mountain Jam, that I began to appreciate what The Allman Brothers Band was doing.

I’ve since fallen in love with the ABB. I was a Ramblin’ Man and a Midnight Rider — I’ve been tied to the Whipping Post, and for-sure had the Statesboro Blues. And y’all, their bravery in recording and releasing live albums like At Fillmore East and Eat a Peach, are inspiring! In a world that increasingly asks us to comply, they dared to go their own way.

Speaking of complying — Long Live the ABB has had me in trouble all week long. As it turns out, my Sweetheart is NOT an ABB fan. So I’ve heard my full name more times this week than I have in the past decade.

“Michael James, if you don’t turn that off I’m going to lose my shit.”

“But Sweetheart, this is our song prompt for this week.”

“Well, you can go listen to your elevator music by yourself. I can’t take it anymore.”

Which is funny. I think it’s because you have to let go — relinquish control — let the music take you away, in order to really get it. Just like with shrooms or synthetics. And she can’t handle that either, for the same reason obvi. She just holds on too tight. And anyone who’s partaken in any sort of mind altering medium such as those, knows that letting go is a prerequisit for enjoying the ride.

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

Aren’t we all holding on a little bit to tightly these days?

Maybe the whole world needs a little more Mountain Jam in their lives. It’s not something you can just hear — you must listen in order to feel the music. Just like with Paulo Coelho’s bells, in the Manual of the Warrior of Light.

It wasn’t until the boy learned to let go, that the man heard the first bell.

“What is a Warrior of the Light?”

“You already know that,” she replied with a smile. “He is someone capable of understanding the miracle of life, of fighting to the last for something he believes in—and of hearing the bells that the waves set ringing on the seabed.”

He had never thought of himself as a Warrior of the Light.

The woman seemed to read his thoughts.

“Everyone is capable of these things. And, though no one thinks of himself as a Warrior of the Light, we all are.”

Turn on Mountain Jam for yourself, and let go — let it take you away for 33 minutes.

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Mountain Jam.

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Here’s my last couple Jukebox submissions!

Elvis Night at Andy's