Adding a few new tracks this week to the station — Dexter Gordon, Kenny Burrell, . I wanted to point out one particular collection that I really enjoy.

If you love jazz and you love classic Johnny Hodges and his unique, unmistakable tone, pick up this cd. Great music.

I’m a huge Obama supporter. Nothing thrilled me more than to see him take the oath of office a few days ago, and I was glad to see him hit the ground running in regards to mending some of the broken fences left by the Bush administration. Of course, some of his immediate amendments and reversals have been given an askance gaze and tongue lashings from his critics while the supporters of such changes are enthralled, convinced already that change has indeed come to Washington.

The reversal of the Mexico City Policy has immediately reopened the door to the abortion debate, and it appears that the door will be blown of its hinges if Obama chooses to pass the Freedom of Choice Act. His desire to close Gitmo in the next year was met by harsh criticism by those who think Obama is already becoming weak on terrorism. Seriously though, what is the solution to Gitmo? You keep it open indefinitely and you are denying due process to both those who should be prosecuted as well as to those individuals who are innocent and watching their lives fritter away in some far off and unforgotten land. If you close it, then the threat of retribution from those who are released, whether they were innocent or not, will always loom. If you kept me in a prison for five years under suspicion of crimes I never committed then released me, I can’t say that revenge would not be close to the top of my “to do” list. So…what do we do?

I do have one major problem with President Obama. He is just a few days into his presidency and already I am beginning to hold my breath in the anticipation that business as usual may already be easing itself into the Oval Office. If you are going to make a rule that is to protect the government from the influence of lobbyists, don’t turn around and introduce an immediate exception to that rule. Not only does it call into question your integrity, but it also sets a precedent for your administration. Once you make one exception to a rule, where does it end? If you create a law and immediately demean that law by introducing exceptions, how are we (the people of the United States) and they (our enemies and allies around the world) ever supposed to believe in what you say?

Or do you live by the idea that you are the decider, and as a result, all laws are to be followed unless you decide otherwise? Cause I can tell you, if that’s your way of thinking, all I can say is, “Been there, done that.”

I posted this on the MySpace page for the station, but wanted to post it here as well for all the people who actually come to this blog looking for jazz related blog entries. I know I don’t post that much about the music here, and perhaps I should. Honestly, all other genres of music are places I love to visit, sometimes staying for weeks at a time. But Jazz is my home.

I even neglected to mention the passing of Freddie Hubbard. Sometimes lamenting the passing of yet another great one becomes too difficult to document, even though I feel obligated to do so.

Speaking of great ones, the video below features a true patron of jazz — Bill Cosby. This short video from a Dick Cavett show in the 70’s is both funny and awe inspiring in that Cosby talks about his failed attempt at playing with some of the greatest names in jazz. All I could think while I watched this video was, “Man, I wish I coulda been there.”

Gotta post it

Tracy Morgan is like a jazz musician. I’m not really sure where he’s going, but I love how gets there.