John Zell Sadler grew up in a loving family in a small town in the U.S. Midwest. His interest in music appeared as a preschooler when he sang along with TV’s Howdy Doody and Mickey Mouse. Discouraging his singing, his parents provided him piano and Hammond organ lessons at age 7. His teacher, Phyllis Miller, was patient and encouraged his interest in music theory. John practiced intermittently and often spent his time trying to master licks from Booker T Jones, Keith Emerson, and Jimmy Smith instead of learning the second part of the Bach thing (e.g., the fugue). He would distract Mrs. Miller from having John play during his lessons by bringing in records for what she called ‘ear training.’ One of his earliest memories was that an otherwise-somber Mrs. Miller thought Elvis could “really sing.” His impoverished aptitude for playing keyboards was evident by age 15. By this time he had joined his high school marching and jazz bands, and had developed some proficiency on the trombone. He was taught by a then-youthful Allen Horney who was patient and encouraged his interest in music theory. John’s accomplishments on the trombone warranted his placement in third chair in his high school’s jazz big band. When the jazz band’s pianist dropped out, the band director encouraged John to take the piano seat, but he didn’t know that John had since learned he was much better playing one note at a time on the trombone rather than several at once on the piano. Fretfully John refused the piano seat, and was allowed to retain his third chair in the trombone section. The faculty band director, Walter Anslinger , had no clue he was a major influence on the youth through stimulating his interest in jazz, which became a lifetime passion, along with other genres of music. John had made friends with a number of classmates who were rock musicians and were in bands. They allowed him to hang out at their practices, didn’t beat him up, and surprisingly liked to listen to him talk about the latest albums. As a high school junior, his friends had formed a band called “Masterson” (the original!) and allowed him to play Fender Rhodes piano in the band as long as he didn’t turn up the amplifier. During high school John had developed an interest in psychology and began to read philosophy and counterculture screeds from the likes of Thomas Szasz and R.D. Laing. He became a professor at a prominent academic medical center, a husband, and a father. Ultimately he ended up becoming a semi-famous psychiatrist and philosopher of psychiatry, authoring and editing various books in the field. Throughout his adult life he dreamed of being a music writer someday. That day arrived with Time’s Rapture..