Honeydripper healing

One of my favorite quotes about jazz comes from hard-bop pianist HORACE SILVER:
"All good music has healing potential."
That statement rings true time and time again. Music can heal in a time of grief. Music can heal a broken heart.
After last night, I am beginning to think music plays a role in physical healing, too.
I felt terrible yesterday.
I could barely sit down. I could barely concentrate. It is a wonder I was able to complete the writing of a story for the newspaper.
I felt awful. Tylenol helped somewhat. A warm bath helped somewhat. Orange juice helped somewhat. Lying down with my head on a pillow helped somewhat.
You know what helped the most?
BROTHER JACK McDUFF'S 1961 album "The Honeydripper," released on Prestige and remastered last year.
I arrived home in a terrible state. I dialed up "Honeydripper" on the iPod and sank into the music.
McDuff was one of the premier jazz organists of his (or any) time. He was joined on "Honeydripper" by the great, underrated guitarist GRANT GREEN (check out his albums some time -- even non-jazz fans will love them) and tenor saxophone player JIMMY FORREST. Along with a relatively unknown drummer named BEN DIXON, these guys produced one of the smoothest soul-jazz recordings of the early 1960s.
I listened to the album with my eyes closed.
That music, more than the Tylenol, warm bath or orange juice, got me back on my feet. I feel 80 percent better today.
Just 80 percent better? Maybe it's time for more McDuff.