Reagan @ 100

During the recent celebration of Ronald Reagan’s centenary we have seen a renewed blossoming of the rights obsession with our 40th president and the so-called “Reagan Revolution.” Like him or not, Reagan is undoubtedly one of our more fascinating presidents. The reason, I suspect, is that he was a real person, full of contradictions but possessing a true and deeply felt personal vision for our country. This stands in opposition to the current fashion of politicians who come to office with often no personal accomplishments in the world and have to write books to create a “story” that allows the public and the media to begin to put them into focus (with the help of advisors, ghost writers and public relations specialist). You saw this with the President and you can see it happening right now with Senator Scott Brown. Reagan was a man who needed no book; he had a long and varied career that took him thru a number of jobs and careers that prepared him for the presidency on many levels.


Along with the contradictions of the man himself, the contradictions of Reagan revolution and the revitalization of the American economy under this president in the 1980’s require us to address the other side of this success story. During the Reagan administration we begin to see the establishment of the American plutocracy, the stagnation (at least) of the middle class, wholesale union busting, the growth of corporate influence, uncontrolled defense spending and unrestrained deficit spending (any of this sounding familiar).

David Stockman, who was a primary architect of Reagan’s economic policy, argued in cabinet meetings at the time that President Reagan needed to seriously address spending (entitlements & defense) if he was going to cut taxes, but he never really did this (FYI, all American’s should be required to read David Stockman’s article “Four Deformations of the Apocalypse” from the NYT 7/31/2010). Reagan’s desire to bring Russia to its knees was the prime motivation behind the uncontrolled and unmonitored corporate welfare that we call defense spending and the deficits roared out of control (again, any of this sounding familiar).

As a CPA who lives and breathes business on a daily basis I get Reagan’s support of business as the lifeblood of America, I think the business of America is probably business. I also understand the concern over intrusive and incompetent government regulations and taxation, but that is not a recipe for free and unregulated markets and corporate domination of the American landscape. One has to be clear in understanding that capitalism, at its core, is ruthless, hence the phrase “it’s only business” can be used when eviscerating a rival. Conversely some of our most ruthless capitalist have also become great philanthropist; witness the Rockefellers’, Bill Gates, Ronald Perelman or Warren Buffet. It is balance of these 2 elements and the energy from this dialectic is part of the very fabric of our country.

The question for the American people is simple; can we have a vibrant free enterprise culture and strong capitalism yet still have a humane society that cares for their underprivileged citizens and children (what is another time and place we might have called “Christian values”)?

I believe Government has a vital and necessary role in acting as a bulwark from the excesses of unbridled capitalism but conversely we cannot create a welfare state that disconnects its constituents from responsible citizenship. Thru uncontrolled (and not to mention unpaid for) entitlements we run the risk of createing a sub-class of citizens who are essentially have no incentive for self-betterment or personal responsibility.

This is ground zero in the debate between left and right, liberal vs. conservative; the proper role and size of government. This clash was certainly evident during the Reagan years, and continues unabated today, but I am not sure that this is an unconquerable divide. If we had courageous and intelligent leadership and could get corporate and union influence minimized we might be able to come to some agreement on these matters.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Several weeks ago we saw Sharon Jones @ the Music Hall in Portsmouth. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are one of the better (and most popular) of the neo-soul bands, groups that mine the rich soil of 1960’s/1970’s American soul music. These groups satisfy a desire for a more organic, traditional and rootsy African American music.


I first saw Ms. Jones at Jazz Fest in New Orleans several years ago and came away from this Portsmouth show with essentially the same opinion. Ms. Jones (an ex-Riker Island prison guard) is the real-deal, a foot-stompin’ nuclear powered soul bomb that looks the audience dead in the eye (literally) and dares them to not have a good time. She has the driven desire to entertain that has always struck me as the hallmark of many of the great soul singers I have been lucky enough to see.

The Dap-Kings on the other hand are certainly not soul royalty despite the self-proclaimed moniker. On later introspection the Dap-Kings reminded me of the white blues bands I used to see many years ago, musicians that were well meaning and sincere, who get all the notes right but completely missed the target.  Other than the drummer, who seemed incapable of conjuring up any kind of a groove, the band sounded fine but unable to maintain that deep, righteous rhythm that soul music needs.  With their vintage instrumentation the sound was spot on and all the notes were “correct” but the performance possessed little of the spirituality and gospel fervor that this music needs.  Because of their diligence about sound and technique they sound better on recordings then live. 

Despite all that, the show, with its fun “soul review” kind of vibe, was enjoyable and Jones is such a powerhouse with an obsession to entertain that is truly undeniable. It did make me long to see Ms. Jones with a band worthy of her talents, say, Booker T and the MG’s, The Bo-Keys or the Hi Rhythm Section out of Memphis or the Wardell Quezergue band or Lil’ Buck and the Topcats from New Orleans– now then we would be really getting’ way down in the alley!

The Great American Songbook and the First Lady of Song

Years ago I decided that I needed to gain an understanding of what is now routinely called the great American songbook. In many cases these tunes had formed the backbone of the jazz music I had grown to love. I am, of course, talking about the music of the Gershwin’s, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Rogers and Hart and Harold Arlen (among others). I soon discovered the groundbreaking series that Ella Fitzgerald made between 1956 and 1964 under the guidance of the producer Norman Granz; the Songbook Series. These 8 amazing sets of records (16 CDs) were out of print when I discovered them and I had to track down the French double album reissues when I could not find good used copies.


Granz who had stolen Fitzgerald away from the hacks at Decca Records in the mid-1950’s had decided that this project was a perfect vehicle for the great lady, he also understood that these songs were a profound part of America’s cultural legacy, and that they were at risk of being lost.

All these genius’ were alive when these sets were recorded and in many cases were active in the projects. Irving Berlin requested that Granz dedicate one of the sets to his songs (as if you could leave Berlin out of any examination of the great American songbook!). Ira Gershwin altered lyrics to suit Ms. Fitgerald and Granz recounted taking the acetates over to Cole Porter’s NYC apartment to play the recordings for him before they were released. Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn provided the arrangements and the Ellington Orchestra to back up Ella on their Songbook.

These recordings are fascinating not only as an overview of the American canon, certainly some of the best songs ever written, but the unerring quality of the recordings themselves. The arrangements are great and Ella sings them with an almost heroic delicacy and taste, with just a touch of improvisational filigree. Many of these recordings are not “jazz” performances but share the light swinging flavor that lovers of American music & jazz can appreciate. These recordings are also enhanced by the addition of many jazz greats in the bands, so there are many wonderful solos peppered throughout these sessions.

These historic sessions have become ground zero for the American Songbook, definitive versions that established once and for all the importance and greatness of these songs and the men that wrote them. Many of these songs might have been lost to time had Granz and Fitzgerald not formally tackled this landmark series. One of the other wonderful things that Granz did was have Ella sing the song intros. The majority of these tunes came from Broadway shows and as such often had short intros that set up the song in the context of the show and story. I always loved the fact that these show intros were left in for these recordings, as well as virtually all the lyrics. Even though we don’t need these setups in the context of these records they serve to fill out the song and like a setting for a fine jewel they enhance the emotional depth of the songs and their lyrics.

These recordings also did another important thing; they established Ella Fitzgerald as America’s First Lady of Song. But more important than all this historical blather; these record are delightful, warm, intelligent, swinging, romantic, humane, funny, optimistic, sad, witty and speak very clearly of the best in America’s culture and its arts.

To quote Frank Rich from the New York Times following Ms. Fitzgerald’s death;

Here was a black woman popularizing urban songs often written by immigrant Jews to a national audience of predominantly white Christians. As Ira Gershwin said, in the line quoted in every obituary: "I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them." Most of the rest of us didn't know, either. By the time she had gone through the entire canon, songs that had been pigeonholed as show tunes or jazz novelties or faded relics of Tin Pan Alley had become American classical music, the property and pride of everyone.