Top Comments: the T/C Follow-up edition #5

A new documentary adds a wider perspective to the Cold War, after the jump …

But first: Top Comments appears nightly, as a round-up of the best comments on Daily Kos. Surely ... you come across comments daily that are perceptive, apropos and .. well, perhaps even humorous. But they are more meaningful if they're well-known ... which is where you come in (especially in diaries/stories receiving little attention).

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Several years ago, I wrote a Top Comments diary about a Voice of America broadcaster who died in 1996. This individual did not read news, nor offer any political commentary - instead, Willis Conover brought listeners around the world a one-hour broadcast (from the mid-1950's to his death) of .... jazz.

It was an example of America's "soft power" - where he probably changed more hearts-and-minds than any aircraft carrier, stem-winder commentary or speech-maker. When his broadcast was heard in Communist or military dictatorship nations, listeners often came to wonder, "Our leaders say this America is a bad place, with imperialist running dogs ... but how can they be so bad if they have this wonderful Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie?!?"

Even though I am a jazz listener: until seven years ago, I had never heard of Willis Conover, for a specific reason. As an arm of the U.S. Government, the Voice of America was not allowed to be broadcast in the U.S. (unless one picked-it-up on a short-wave radio). This policy I have heard may no longer be the case.

You can read my original Top Comments story of his life at this link .... and its publication led to an opportunity for me to conduct a phone interview with a musician who had an interesting story about Willis Conover (which I published as a separate, follow-up diary). Grammy Award-winner Jan Hammer grew-up in the Czech Republic, and recounted what it was like to hear Willis Conover's voice during the Soviet era.

Now ...……...... an update.

PBS has just released a documentary about the role that jazz musicians played during the Cold War. Originally, the US State Department sent on tours (to Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East) ballet companies, symphony orchestras and folk dancers — the problem, of course, that we were competing against the best that Europe (and especially the Soviet Union) had to offer in the 1950’s.

On the urging of Manhattan congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.— the State Department arranged to send jazz musicians, whom the Soviets had no chance of competing with. And one tour in 1956 had a dramatic moment:

After Cypriot students stoned the U.S. embassy in Athens, Quincy Jones says the band was in Ankara, Turkey, when a call came from the White House with a plea. "'Send the Gillespie band over there! That band can handle it, you know.'

And we played there and in the audience were all these revolutionary students. They stormed the stage afterwards. You know, we were scared to death - trust me. And they ran up on the stage and they grabbed Dizzy Gillespie and put him up on their shoulders, and they said 'Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy!' That is the power of what the music is about.

And while the Soviets could legitimately note American racism, the presence of several African-Americans on these tours helped blunt their effect. A famous cartoon in the New Yorker during the 1950’s even referenced Louis Armstrong:

“This is a diplomatic mission of utmost delicacy. The question is, who’s the best man for it? ……...

……… “John Foster Dulles ……... or Satchmo?”

Jazz Ambassadors tells the story of the propaganda battle and how Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck and others proved to be more effective ambassadors for the USA than any politician (though the black performers were obviously not treated well for the efforts upon their return). And whatever expenses we incurred in sending them over .. were far less than a bomber or aircraft carrier cost. Here is a 3-minute trailer, which hopefully you can see on your PBS station. And Willis Conover makes an appearance in the film.

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Some quick-take updates:

In a 2016 essay in this space, I noted the game-changing Oklahoma author S.E. Hinton— short for Susan E. Hinton — whose book she wrote as a teenager, The Outsiders is looked at as a landmark in Young Adult fiction. Beginning on May 22nd, Meredith Vieira will host a new PBS series, The Great American Read— looking at 100 novels (and novel series) that were selected for consideration through a national survey — and for which a vote for the best will take place. The Outsiders has made it to the field of 100.

First printing edition 1967

Finally, also in 2016 I noted the successful defense of his world chess championship by the young Norwegian national, Magnus Carlsen— who had to go to sudden-death tie-breakers to hold onto the title (against an ethnic Russian opponent) in a final tournament held in New York. Yesterday, he tweeted this:

x

In New York, first time since the match in 2016! Hoping to catch an NBA or NHL playoff game while in town

— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) May 9, 2018

Unfortunately for him … not only are no NY metro area teams still alive in those playoffs …. only of those five teams even made the playoffs this year (and the across-the-river New Jersey Devils were quickly eliminated).

Let’s close with this rock version of the French classical composer Gabriel Fauré’s work Pavane — as performed by the keyboard whiz Brian Auger.

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Now, on to Top Comments:

From elfling:

In the diary by Crashing Vor about his speculation that the Trumpster may now see Michael Cohen as a “skimmer” — this thread posits new words for “throwing under the bus” in various languages … and Spancos offers-up my favorite.

From greenbird:

In the front-page story about Michael Cohen’s attorneys (inadvertently) confirming much of the reporting about cash receipts — I am glad that jqjacobs showed up in time to prompt this inquiry!

And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........

In the diary by ericlewis0 about the law firm of Rudy Giuliani giving him his walking papers— northleft notes a rather sour chapter in the prestigious law firm’s past … and agnostic makes an apt observation about his long absence from the courtroom. 

TOP PHOTOS May 9th, 2018 Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. (NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)

And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:

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