Maybe she looks a little looney here because this photo was cribbed from a video of her jazz-buying spree in DC last year. Kamala Harris and her husband are big jazz fans, as some of you may know. Husband Doug Emhoff was written up in The Atlantic last month:
The second gentleman, who might also be called the first jazz fan, is such a devotee that he named his children, Ella and Cole, for Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane, two of his favorite musicians. . . .He said, “Jazz isn’t constructed. It’s a little messy, like democracy can be at times.”
Anyhow, Kamala calls Mingus “really one of the greatest jazz performers ever.” Well, who is going to argue with that?
The fact that she bought Mingus’s most ambitious (and his favorite) album, Let My Children Hear Music, impresses me. She has good taste. The music is a little messy and a little disciplined, like democracy. Here is the opening number from the album, which has an almost classical feel to much of it, despite the title―“The Shoes of the Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers.”
To accompany the album Mingus wrote a strong extended essay, which got some notoriety. Here’s part of what he said:
I think the music on this record is serious in every sense. I say, let my children have music. I said it earlier. For God’s sake, rid this society of some of the noise so that those who have ears will be able to use them some place listening to good music. When I say good I don’t mean that today’s music is bad because it is loud. I mean the structures have paid no attention to the past history of music. Nothing is simple. It’s as if people came to Manhattan and acted like it was still full of trees and grass and Indians instead of concrete and tall buildings. It’s like a tailor cutting clothes without knowing the design. . . .
Sy Johnson―my good friend, now deceased―orchestrated, arranged and conducted much of the Children album. You can find his comments throughout my book Mingus Speaks. Here’s one such: Mingus’s “music is just full of earth and it’s always got its feet in the dirt. I mean it’s jazz, it has human cries in it, and it’s full of humanity.”
I’d like to think that may be what appealed to Kamala. Her humanity is the foundation of her appeal. It’s what people tune in to. And it’s more important than all the money she’s raised and all the memes that have taken hold online. That is what will beat Trump.
Massive, HUGE palpable shift in the vibe around here since the announcement. All we gotta do is get it across the finish line (and stay vigilant for those who would undo it)
I am hearing from lots of friends, young and old who are dancing for joy. There’s excitement in the air,. Lots of my friends are volunteering to assist…She has some things to overcome, but agree with Mike that she’s gotta win. I think they kept her out of limelight bc she would overshadow old Joe,…so now is her moment. How about that JD fella? Now he’s a winning candidate, stepping in doodoo every day. I guess he was “vetted” by Don Jr.–so that should tell you everything. Don-Political strategist extraordinaire and brain trust with his Melanomia-wanna-be witchy wife..I am making plans for Inauguration Day to go to DC! Couch serf with some friends there….feeling positive. Makes me want to go out and paint!!
Fun piece, John, and fun to think of Kamala playing Mingus LPs in her house. I hope she turns up the volume. And I’ve never hoped more that one of your predictions was right than your last line here.
Amén from the jazz corner! Grit, soul and humanity will prevail.