Bella Donna

"Atropa belladonna is a Eurasian perennial with reddish, bell-shaped flowers that bear glossy-coated, black berries. Other names for the plant include belladonna, deadly nightshade, devil’s berries, naughty man’s cherries, death cherries, beautiful death, and devil’s herb. The plant earns its sinister nicknames, as its foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing potent dosages of tropane alkaloids. Its most common name, belladonna, derives from Italian, meaning 'beautiful woman.' Historically, women have used the herb’s oil to dilate and enlarge the pupils for seductive effect. But it’s best known as the plant of choice for assassins through history."

Beauty. Seduction. Death.

Jazz is all about tension and release. Cross-rhythm/polyrhythm. Current/undercurrent. Literal/figurative, text/subtext.

Some have asked me why I chose 'Nightshade' as the title of my first album. I leave that up to you to infer from available data.

;-)