DownBeat April 1993 [antikvár]

ON THE BEAT DOWPEAT April 1993 by John Ephland Jong with millions of TV viewers across America, I caught some of the Inaugural festivities that ushered in our 42nd president. (See p. 30 for more.) The predominant image running through this gaudy, five-day, $25 million extravaganza was a musical one. First Saxophonist Bill Clinton was making it crystal clear to a new electorate ready to boogie down that his celebrations were not going to be upstaged by any previous Commander In Chief. As Clinton said in his Inaugural Address: "We march to the music of our time." Given the importance of music at these events, and since the Chief himself is a player, it's fair to assume the tone toward music and the arts in general by this new administration will be bright instead of dark. So, what can we expect from the new administration? What are the implications for music education and school bands? Is there something to what Little Feat rocker President Bill Clinton: hot air, or hot stuff? Fred Tackett said when he proclaimed the man from Hope, Arkansas, "the first rock roll/jazz president"? (Incidentally, they both played in the 1963 Arkansas All-State Band.) Answers await, but there are hopeful signs of widespread interest, judging from the many musically related Inaugural activities: Bill and Hillary Clinton's appearance on stage at the MTV Ball, thanking the youthful Rock the Vote crowd for their support. Gospel music played a role in the transition festivities, including the music performed at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church the Clintons attended the morning of the swearing-in ceremony In addition to programming jazz for the '92 Clinton/Gore campaign, the Thelonious Monk Institute in Washington, D.C., produced the jazz segment to the Presidential Gala along with entertainment for one of the 11 sanctioned balls, held at the National Building Museum. Clinton showed thoughtfulness and respect by sending a letter of condolence that was read at the recent funeral for Dizzy Gillespie. And, for what it's worth, sax figure Kenny G received a handwritten note from the new president saying he was "looking forward to [their] first jam session in the White House." Official policy statements, Clinton's intentions regarding the National Endowment for the Arts, even his tastes in music (what is "the music of our time"?)—these aspects and more remain a part of the mysterious mosaic that is our first Baby Boomer president. Despite the preponderance of "lite" musical fare surrounding the Inaugural (e.g., Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, Michael Bolton, the G-man, Fleetwood Mac), suggesting Clinton's also well on his way to becoming our first "adult-contemporary" president, we at DB risk these remaining questions: If Elvis Lives, will The King be a silent but influential "abinet member? And, can we convince our new Prez to take the Blindfold Test? Whatever else takes place, one thing's for sure: Music, particularly jazz, has a friend in the Wiite House. Let's make sure he stays an active one. DB DOWNBEAT PUBLISHER Kevin Maher EDITORIAL DIR ECTOR/ASSOC. PUBLISHER Frank Alkyer MANAGING EDITOR John Ephland ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Heiland ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ed Enright DESIGN Jay Crawford Design PRODUCTION MGR. Gloria Baldwin CIRCULATION MGR. Elaine Rizleris CIRCULATION ASST. Ginger Giese PRESIDENT Jack Maher • • • CONTRIBUTORS: Larry Birnbaum, Fred Bouchard, Micfiael Bourne, Tom Copi, John Corbett, Owen Cordle, Lauren Deutsch, John Oili&erlo, Enid Färber, Leonard Feather, Mitchell Feldman, Andy Freeberg, Elaine Guregian, Frank-John Hadley, Peter Kostakis, Aft Lange, John Litweiler, Howard Mandel, Jolin McDonough, Bill Milkowski, Paul Natkin, Dan Ouellelte, Ben Sandmel, Mitchell Seide!, Bill Shoemaker, Jack Sohmer, Stephanie Stein. Robin Tolleson, Ron Welbum, Pete Welding, Kevin Whitehead, Josef Vtoodard, Scot I Yanow. CORRESPONDENTS: Albany, NX Georgia Urban; Atlanta. Dorothy Pearce: Austin, Michael Point; Baltimore, Fred Douglass; Boston, Fred Bouchard: Buffalo, John R Lockhart; Chicago. Jim Oe Jong; Cincinnati, Bob Nave; Oelroil. Michael G. Nastos; Las Vegas, Brian Sanders; Los Angeles, Zan Stewart; Minneapolis, Mary Snyder; Nashville, Dave Jenkins; New Orleans, Joel Simpson; Philadelphia, Russell Woessner; Phoenix, Robert Henschen; Pittsburgh, David J, Fabilli; San Francisco, Michael Handler; Seattle, Joseph R. Murphy; Toronto, Mark Miller; Vancouver, Vern Montgomery; Washington, DC, W. A. Brower; Argentina, Max Seligmann; Australia, Eric Myers; Brazil, Christopher Pickard; Finland, Roger Freundlich; Great Britain, Brian Priestley: India. Vinod Advani; Italy, Ruggero Stiassi; Jamaica, Maureen Sheridan; Japan, Shoichi Yul; Netherlands, Jaap Lüdeke; Norway, Randi Huitín; Senegambia, Oko Draime; South Africa, Howard Belling; Sweden, Lars Lystedt.