Book Review & Bonus Jazz Playlist: Yes to the Mess, by Frank Barrett
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth — Mike Tyson”
The premise of drawing parallels between business and jazz in itself is interesting; and this book takes it further by questioning the prevalent concepts of management. It hinges mainly on the themes of unlearning and improvisation.
I started reading this book a month ago. The first chapter made me question myself a lot on my ability to deal with ‘getting punched in the mouth’. So, I put the book away for ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ instead.
A couple of weeks later I went to a jazz concert — and surprisingly found myself being able to appreciate the music (a side effect of the book). So I started reading again with a fresh mind — and I was fascinated. My favourite parts of the book were examples of how organisations and jazz performers struggled with unexpected situations and what made them fail or succeed. I found the story behind ‘The Bridge’ by Sonny Rollins especially insightful.
One phrase that really stood out for me was — Disciplined Imagination — which at first looked like anoxymoron. But as I saw it unfold with examples from organisations and jazz experts — it started making sense and was in fact reassuring in ways. An excerpt from the book that elaborates this:
“There’s irony here, of course. The goal of improvisation is to be mindful and creative, making up ideas on the spot that respond to what’s happening in the moment, but the road to mindful adapting leads through copying and imitating because, as every jazz player learns, there are times when your only choice is to fall back on patterns you learned through mindless habit”
As I read this book — I started drawing parallels with Indian Classical Music. I had heard this composition ‘Jo Achuthananda’ in a certain way all my childhood. But when I heard Bharat Ratna Smt M S Subbulakshmi’s rendition (at 8:15 mins) the first time; I remember just listening in awe. Every note was different and somehow the tune was so familiar. That’s probably what unlearning, improvisation and reimagining within boundaries is about.
Bonus Jazz Playlist:
And as promised, a Jazz Playlist to go with the book (These are some of the artists mentioned in the book):
- Sonny Rollins — The Bridge
- Scott Joplin — Maple Leaf Rag (And other ragtime piano music)
- Miles Davis (of course)
- Oscar Peterson
Click to buy the book: Yes to the Mess — Frank Barrett