Many of the tributes to John Hope Franklin included his statements on the need for apologies and reparations. I think its time for some gratitude because the only uniquely American contribution to world culture is the blues and her many children.
It is said that Louis Armstrong singlehandedly created the instrumental improvised solo and the world has never been the same. Permission to jam was granted- and that is an awesome thing. Combine it with the blues and infinity is made accessible. Here are the changes, now go for it.
Every week I take my old saxophone made in Paris in 1968 by the progeny of Frenchmen who did not take the drums away from the slaves in New Orleans and I play with my rhythm and blues buddies whatever honkin’, nasty, sweet, or soulful lines my mind and fingers can conjure and on rare nights, when the groove is tight, and I’ve been living right, the gods of improvisation come down and take over and I’m just along for the ride and I testify that it does not get any better than that. Permission to jam, man. Its the capstone of my sanity, the tonic that flushes out the stress, the burnisher of my synapses. Thank you, Mr Armstrong, thank you, thank you.
What really makes Americans different is that we can improvise like nobody else. And now we have a president who I predict history will call The Great Improvisor. And so to all colored, negro, black , brown, beige Americans I say thank you for injecting the permission to jam into our cultural DNA.
Reparations. Lets pay’em. Come up with some absurd number equals four hundred years of brutality and exploitation. Because no matter how many bazzilions it is we are still going to be way, way ahead. We got permission to jam.
The blues forever and ever, AMEN.
