A Letter on Justice and Open Debate

Sun Jul 19 02:37:08 UTC 2020

I certainly haven't listened to all of Ellington's prodigious output of
recordings. I will say that I've never heard anything that wasn't worth
listening to. My favorites are probably The Far East Suite, Latin American
Suite, Up in Duke's Workshop w/ Ella Fitzgerald (Ella is always great, too,
but she really shines here). There is a piano record called Reflections in
D, though it may be known by other titles. Duke did a record with Louis
Armstrong, too, as well as one with John Coltrane (which has a haunting
version of In A Sentimental Mood). The Live at Newport thing is a classic,
featuring a famous solo by Paul Gonsalves.

I'm in the midst of teaching a course called Introduction to Jazz at Furman
for Summer Session. I always share a documentary called "On the Road with
Duke Ellington". You can find it on YouTube, and it is well worth an hour's
investment.

Duke was always supportive of other musicians. He introduced Monk at a
concert, saying something like, "And now, the man with the best left hand
in Jazz....". You can hear him on a video somewhere inquiring about Bud
Powell, asking how he's doing. There is a great picture of Duke and Bud
together, if I can find it.

He composed over 2000 pieces of music, and kept his band on the road long
past the time when it was actually making money. He was commissioned by the
Queen of England to compose a piece.

Along with his musical partner, the great Billy Strayhorn, Duke is
responsible for a huge piece of the American Songbook.

What he accomplished is really staggering.

As Duke would say, Love You Madly!

kd

On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 9:25 PM rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Miles' He Loved Him Madly written for the Duke may be the greatest tribute.
>
> rich
>
> On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 9:06 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Let's not argue.  Let's share.
> >
> > I'd love to see Keith's links to what is his favorite Ellington
> recordings.
> >
> > David Morris
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:57 PM Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Really?
> > >
> > > I'm partial to Frank Zappa, myself.
> > >
> > > But there's no way I'm arguing music with YOU, Keith!  :-)
> > >
> > > Love,
> > > yer old pal Jerky
> > >
> > > On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:56 PM Keith Davis <kbob42 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Duke Ellington is America’s greatest composer.
> > > >
> > > > Www.keithdavismusic.com
> > > >
> > > > > On Jul 18, 2020, at 5:54 PM, Gary Webb <gwebb8686 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > 
> > > > > For Murray, there was perhaps no greater, no more heroic, no more
> > > > representative American than Ellington.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks guys...cool stuff...I couldn’t agree more with Murray about
> > > > Ellington...there is a peace and exuberance in his music that few
> > > American
> > > > musicians have been capable of capturing...to me, what Rachmaninoff
> is
> > to
> > > > Europe and European music, Ellington is to the United States...
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tabletmag.com/amp/sections/arts-letters/articles/the-omni-americans
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Sent from my iPhone
> > > > >
> > > > >>> On Jul 18, 2020, at 4:14 PM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > > >>>
> > > > >> If anyone is also interested, Thomas chatterton Williams wrote
> the
> > > new
> > > > intro to Murray’s Omni-Americans.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Sent from my iPhone
> > > > >>
> > > > >>> On Jul 18, 2020, at 3:35 PM, Keith Davis <kbob42 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> If anyone is interested, Thomas Chatterton Williams is on the
> > Useful
> > > > Idiots
> > > > >>> podcast with Matt Taibbi and
> > > > >>> Katie Halper this weekend.
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> https://youtu.be/MijFtGQYowg
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>>>> On Fri, Jul 17, 2020 at 3:18 PM Gary Webb <gwebb8686 at gmail.com
> >
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>> It’s probably because nobody wants Ronan Farrow coming after
> > them...
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>> But they’re powerful people, those whom were mentioned, and they
> > can
> > > > >>>> shield themselves from harm... the ugly side is when these
> online
> > > > mobs take
> > > > >>>> out normal people, those that can’t shield themselves with money
> > and
> > > > >>>> power....and its not a Right or Left thing, they all do it... so
> > > maybe
> > > > >>>> Weiss should have said no more doxing Internet anons to enable
> > > > violence
> > > > >>>> against them... just a universal disavowing of all political
> > > > violence...
> > > > >>>> but no, that’s the game they all play now...
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>> Sent from my iPhone
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>>>> On Jul 17, 2020, at 1:20 PM, Laura Kelber <
> > laurakelber at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >>>>>
> > > > >>>>> And the censorship comes not from these vitriolic
> stone-throwers
> > > but
> > > > >>>> from
> > > > >>>>> the bottom-line capitalists who decide that publishing or
> > producing
> > > > work
> > > > >>>>> from Rowling or anyone else hapless enough to be attacked is
> too
> > > > >>>>> financially risky. Woody Allen's latest movie streams in
> assorted
> > > > places
> > > > >>>> in
> > > > >>>>> Europe and Asia but no one dares show it in the democratic USA.
> > > > >>>>>
> > > > >>>>>> On Fri, Jul 17, 2020 at 7:46 AM Thomas Eckhardt <
> > > > >>>> thomas.eckhardt at uni-bonn.de>
> > > > >>>>>> wrote:
> > > > >>>>>> I am certainly not going to wade into the topic either...
> > > > >>>>>>>> Am 17.07.2020 um 11:51 schrieb John Bailey:
> > > > >>>>>>>> I'm not attacking or defending Rowling, or wading into the
> > topic
> > > > she
> > > > >>>>>> waded into.
> > > > >>>>>>> But the angry tweets referred to in Thomas' article aren't
> > > > censorship.
> > > > >>>>>> I am not saying they are. They are misogynist insults,
> however,
> > > hate
> > > > >>>>>> speech and cyber bullying. Of course, the tweets have been
> > > selected
> > > > for
> > > > >>>>>> maximum effect, but still.
> > > > >>>>>>> That's what democratic 'open debate' looks like.
> > > > >>>>>> No. This is hate speech, not debate. It should not be censored
> > but
> > > > it
> > > > >>>>>> should certainly also not be treated as a legitimate
> > contribution
> > > to
> > > > >>>>>> reasonable debate.
> > > > >>>>>>> If you say something
> > > > >>>>>>> that some people find hateful, some of them might respond in
> > ways
> > > > that
> > > > >>>>>>> you don't like.
> > > > >>>>>> Yes.
> > > > >>>>>>> If you're truly committed to open debate you'll engage
> > > > >>>>>>> in dialogue with these foul dissenters.
> > > > >>>>>> You believe a woman should engage in dialogue with people
> > calling
> > > > her a
> > > > >>>>>> c*nt, inviting her to choke on their d*cks and publicly
> > expressing
> > > > their
> > > > >>>>>> wish to slap her around, smack her up and punch her in the
> head?
> > > > And if
> > > > >>>>>> she doesn't, she is not committed to "open debate"? Sorry, but
> > > this
> > > > is
> > > > >>>>>> ridiculous.
> > > > >>>>>>> Or you can just demonise them. That's a tactic.
> > > > >>>>>> The people who wrote these tweets are not demons but idiots
> who
> > > are
> > > > >>>>>> ideologically blindsided to a degree that makes me almost feel
> > > > sorry for
> > > > >>>>>> them.
> > > > >>>>>> --
> > > > >>>>>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> > > > >>>>> --
> > > > >>>>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> > > > >>>> --
> > > > >>>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> > > > >>>>
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> --
> > > > >>> www.keithdavismusic.com
> > > > >>> --
> > > > >>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> > > > --
> > > > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> > > >
> > > --
> > > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> > >
> > --
> > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> >
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>

-- 
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