The triad, Jing, (energy), Qi, (the flow of energy), and Shen, (the spirit), are the Tao of all that is. The fundamental of Taoism is the nature of the universe and in this there can be no light except by comparison with darkness; there can be no joy without the existence of sadness. Every action causes a counter action – all of life is a dichotomy; all distinctions are relative comparisons bound together by their mutual reference. In nature, there are no two-headed coins – love is on the other side of hate. In Taoism, there are no principals to learn, no canons to remember, no rituals to practice. Ultimately, it is useless trying to understand Tao; for it cannot be expressed in words. It is shapeless and formless. It is, what is unknown, but instinctively adhered to.
Yet, the March 1961 Miles Davis recording of "Someday My Prince Will Come" which features a tribute to saxophonist, composer, record producer Teo Macero called simply Teo is, for me, an example of glimpsing the unknowable – an audible revelation of Taoism dichotomy, an exposure to the supreme search being acted out. John Coltrane’s solo is so innovative, it’s akin to hearing someone pray a prayer that convinces you that it is, at that very moment, being received by divinity.
Mile Davis composed the tune "Teo" in honor of his long time friend, record producer and fellow musician Attilio Joseph (Teo) Macero. Teo was born October 30, 1925 in Glens Falls, New York and died February 19, 2008 after a long career as a musician, record producer, and film and television soundtrack composer. Teo was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years and produced the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, which at # 12, is the highest-rank jazz album on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list and is the best selling jazz album of all time. Teo Macero graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in 1953 with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Teo also worked with Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus. He scored the 1970 Muhammad Ali documentary, aka, Cassius Clay and produced the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese’s film The Blues.
So it was fitting that such an accomplished soul was given the tribute that Miles Davis bestowed on his music collaborator and one can only surmised that it was providence that inspired the musicians to such grand heights. This Miles Davis Sextet is comprised of Miles on trumpet, Hank Mobley and John Coltrane on saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul chambers on bass, and Billy Cobb on drums – all of whom went on to head bands of their own. There are six tunes on the album which has one of Miles’ several wives on the cover. The cut Teo which last nine minutes and thirty-two seconds is totally enlightening and John Coltrane’s solo is its spiritual core.
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