THE JAZZ IDIOM and THE AMERICAN WAY OF WAR

Eugene Jarecki

Al Young

We talk with poet Al Young and photographer Charles L. Robinson about their book and CD set, JAZZ IDIOM: Blueprints, Stills and Frames. And Eugene Jarecki tells us about THE AMERICAN WAY OF WAR.

Jazz Idiom: Blueprints, Stills and Frames showcases Charlie Robinson’s intimate photographs of the jazz greats he’s known. Among them, Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington and Nina Simone. In counterpoint to the images, Al Young riffs, scats, and bebops with his poetry, anecdotes, and insight into the players. They reminisce about the musicians with host Francesca Rheannon and talk about how music translates as an art into their poetry and images.

And we hear excerpts from music by the book’s subjects. In order of appearance on the show:

• Carmen McCrae, Stardust
• Thelonius Monk, Blue Monk (live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1964). Watch him play it (at another venue).
• Mary Lou WIlliams, Gloria
• Nina Simone, I WIsh I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
• Miles Davis, Round Midnight and Bye Bye Blackbird (watch him play Round Midnight)

The stated purpose of the military is to protect and defend the United States. It’s also supposed to protect democracy; every soldier swears fealty to the constitution. But in his book, The American Way of War Eugene Jarecki says the purpose of the military has more to do with feeding the bottom line of military contractors than defending the country. It’s the “military-industrial complex”– a term first coined by Pesident Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Ike really wanted to add the word “congressional” to it, but feared the political fallout if he did. Jarecki tells us the unholy alliance between the military, the contractors and the congress is putting our democracy in peril.

THE AMERICAN WAY OF WAR was inspired by Jarecki’s film, Why We Fight, which won the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He’s also founder and director of the public policy organization, The Eisenhower Project.

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