JUST BE

Oscar Gill

I began writing this piece in 2020, inspired by Snarky Puppy's Shofukan. At the time, the title I fashioned was just a neat, somewhat ambiguous title, waiting for sound meaning to add dimension to its then fairly dimensionless essence. Now, two and a half years later, it carries an expression of the simplicity of freedom from the pressuring and constraint of identity we so often place upon ourselves. We are always told, "Be yourself!" and "Show me who you are!" ...but often even we don't know who we are. Thus, we search for ourselves outside of ourselves and create a collage of the outside that looks somewhat like us, but misses something... something fundamental yet inexplicable, without which our collage is not truly us. In response to this, I propose through this piece that we stop searching for who we are, stop trying to "be ourself" and "be us " ... and instead, just be. Because if you be, it'll be you who is doing the being, and so you'll unarguably be being you. So, be.

Trumpet: Atticus Shipstone

Alto Sax: Harry Ottley

Tenor Sax: Kris Pyun

Baritone Sax: Mason Harvey

Guitar: Joel Sanchez-Carn

Piano: Oscar Gill

Bass: Mae Carlisle

Drums: Jamie Brillus