Author: Knoxville Progressive

47, an environmental scientist, Italian-American, married, 2 sons, originally a Catholic from Philly, now a Taoist ecophilosopher in the South due to job transfer. Enjoy jazz, hockey, good food and hikes in the woods.

Tennessee Senate Race – Reason for Guarded Optimism?

One of the senate seats we’ll need to pick up this fall if we’re to gain a majority may well be the seat of retiring Senate Majority Leader Frist, so I thought I’d pass along a snapshot of what’s happening in the Harold Ford, Jr. – Bob Corker race one week after the primary.  

(more after the fold)

Some background:  There are three stars in a circle on the center of the Tennessee state flag, representing the three regions of the state – the eastern mountains and valleys (Knoxville and Chattanooga being the biggest cities), the central plateau (dominated by Nashville, the state capitol), and the Mississippi valley in the western third of the state (major city is Memphis).  

The eastern region, Republican candidate Bob Corker’s home turf, is heavily Republican, has the highest numbers of fundamentalist Christians, and the lowest numbers of minorities.  The western region, Ford’s home, is the opposite – Democratic, with a major African-American population in Memphis.  

The center of the state is in-between in most demographics, and varies from poor rural towns to the wealthy (Republicans) suburbs and (Democratic) city neighborhoods of Nashville.  The towns in the center of the state have drifted from Democratic to Republican, taking the political center of gravity with them in the state.  The central region will be a battleground in this election.

Today the Knoxville News-Sentinel had two stories on the senate race from which I’ve taken the excerpts below; you can read the stories here and here for additional details.

Corker, the former mayor of Chattanooga, was selected as the Republican nominee in a divisive three-way primary against former U.S. congressmen Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary, despite charges of not being a “real conservative:”

Corker has acknowledged not all Bryant and Hilleary supporters are coming aboard yet, with some having “poured their heart and souls into the race.”
Democratic Chairman Bob Tuke said there’s a reason for that.

“They’ve been told for months now … (that Bob Corker) is a liberal, that he’s a Democrat in Republican clothing,” Tuke said. “Now why today are they supposed to think anything different?”

During the primary campaign, Bryant and Hilleary asserted they were the true conservatives.

For nearly two years, they questioned Corker’s conservative credentials in opposing abortion rights and hammered him for raising property taxes as Chattanooga’s mayor.

[snip]

However, Ben Cunningham, a key figure in Tennessee Tax Revolt, a group of anti-tax activists, remains uncommitted.

“I think everybody is kind of interested in his (Corker’s) bona fides so far as the principles that are near and dear to them, and I guess we all have to assess whether he holds those principles dear himself,” Cunningham said.

Nevertheless, Corker is making headway elsewhere.
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., a conservative lawmaker who made no endorsement in the primary, said she believes Corker can put concerns to rest among those who have them.

“I think it is going to be a matter of his sitting down and visiting with those groups and not being afraid to take their questions and to provide answers and to ask for their support,” Blackburn said.

Hmmm, having to reassure the base – that can’t be a good thing for the Corker campaign. 🙂

Questions about Corker’s conservatism  may hurt him with the extremist base, but they will allow him to paint himself as more of a centrist in the general election.  Meanwhile, Ford also is attempting to reach out to the center (i.e., the not-so-far-to-the-right), doing retail politics in places like Gallatin, TN (pop. 26,720):

“I come from a big family in Memphis. You may have heard about them,” Ford offered.

Stony faces. A few dry chuckles.

The Memphis Democrat’s focus on the war in Iraq, the need for alternative energy sources, and opposition to gay marriage went over considerably better.

“That’s huge,” said firefighter David Brinegear. “He’ll probably get a lot of Republicans with that right there. A lot of guys wanted to ask him, but they were scared. They thought folks would jump on them. I never voted for a Democrat, but he’s probably the one I’d vote for.”

[snip]

In Dover, west of Gallatin, Cindy’s Catfish Kitchen is the place to be when it comes to cornbread and politics. The local Kiwanis Club meets there every Thursday, and the Dover Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet is a guaranteed sell-out.

But as an anxious crowd of Democratic supporters and the just plain curious awaited Ford’s arrival Wednesday, there was some confusion on exactly who the Senate hopeful is.

“I don’t know much about him except what they said about his family on TV,” said restaurant owner Cindy Luffman, shaking her head. “Y’know that lady? What’s the one? Ophelia.”

Later, as a young black Ford staffer made his way through the crowd, the roughly 70-person gathering began to applaud. Realizing it wasn’t Ford, the group tittered and resumed its vigil.

“We have a very small black population, so please forgive us,” said Rita Tinsley, a local veterinarian.

[snip]

Democrats hope to ride a wave of GOP backlash this fall from an electorate weary of the ongoing war in Iraq, high gasoline prices and increased deficits. Republicans said their records on tax cuts and national defense coupled with Democratic identity struggles will ensure that the Tennessee seat stays a “red” state.

[snip]

A strong Shelby County [i.e., Memphis] showing could also prove critical to a Senate win, said Karl Schledwitz, a Democratic Party activist and former Sen. Jim Sasser’s first campaign manager.

“If (Harold Ford Jr.) wins the Senate, it will be because of disproportionately high African-American turnout,” Schledwitz said. “Harold is also going to have to find some place in East Tennessee where he does better than normal.”

If the 300-plus Tennessee farmers gathered at the Cool Springs Marriott hotel near Brentwood [a wealthy Nashville suburb] on Thursday were any indication, Ford and Corker are in a near dead-heat.

Both men received standing ovations from Farm Bureau meeting attendees. Both spoke of the importance of tightening controls on immigration and the need for greater fiscal accountability on the Hill.

And after a week of debate challenges in which Ford constantly asked voters “If you see Bob Corker, tell him I’m looking for him,” both men missed each other by mere feet in the meeting hall.

Their views were blocked by a thick cluster of voters in the middle of the aisle.

Am I thrilled with Harold Ford as a candidate?  Obviously not.  But opposition to the war and a push for alternative energy sources – along with the Democratic senate majority he’d help bring about – may be about as much as we can expect from Tennessee right now.  Although the war, the economy, and to some degree civil liberties issues have worn down Republican support, these are, after all, the folks that voted against native son Al Gore for president in 2000 because “he forgot his roots.”

And speaking of Gore, he’s also been active of late around these parts, appearing with Rep. John Murtha at a Nashville Democratic fundraiser that hammered away at Bush’s management of the Iraq war (full story here):

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – U.S. Rep. John Murtha, who has been a vocal critic of the Iraq war, told a group of Tennessee Democrats there’s no end in sight to the U.S. military actions in Iraq and that peace there isn’t likely under the Bush administration.

“I said a year ago we couldn’t win this militarily, and they (Republicans) attacked me,” said the Pennsylvania Democrat, a decorated Vietnam veteran and military hawk, who has become the face of the Democrats’ anti-war movement since he called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops last fall.

[snip]

Murtha has said that because of continued U.S. presence in Iraq, the nation’s international credibility has taken a beating and the American military is overcommitted and stretched thin.

“We want somebody to stop this president, to change the direction of this country,” he said. “When we went to war, (the administration) said there would be weapons of mass destruction. There were no weapons of mass destruction. There are no weapons of mass destruction, even though some people in Washington still believe it.”

And this line must be hurting, because of the wrath it brought out from local Republicans:

Murtha’s oft-repeated criticism of the Bush administration’s war policies has earned him the wrath of Republicans.

Tennessee’s Republican Party criticized Murtha’s voting record in Congress, especially when it came to Iraq policy.

“Murtha is just another liberal Democrat who’s repeatedly voted against tax relief, strongly advocates surrender in Iraq and has continually voted against laws that help keep our nation more secure,” Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Bob Davis said Saturday in a released statement.

So that’s where things stand in the TN senate race at the moment – the war and energy prices and independence are big issues, although the Republicans are trying to play their old favorites on the hot button Wurlitzer: abortion, immigration, taxes, Dems as “soft-on-terror,” but folks are increasingly hurting financially – especially in the small town swing counties of the state.  Conservatives find themselves, to their surprise, taking a good look at the Democratic alternative, and finding it maybe not so scary after all.  (Having a surprisingly popular Democratic governor from the right wing of the party helps in that regard, too.)

To win, Ford will have to erode support in Corker’s east TN stronghold, and the Democrats will have to have a heavy turnout in Memphis.  But, surprisingly, it may well be doable this year.  Booman has said he’s not convinced it’s going to happen, but maybe I’ve given him – and you – a little ground for hope, if not optimism, in this contest.

Jazz Jam 4 August 2006

This week I’ve been listening to… Ahmad Jamal’s 2005 CD, After Fajr.

After Fajr

During a recent trip to the library, while flipping through the CDs, I encountered an old friend, a smiling man with a dove on his shoulder (audio clips at link).  Intrigued (I’d picked up some old vinyl of Jamal along the way, and even gone to the trouble of trying to convert it to CD – with limited success, but that’s another story), I checked the CD out.  It was a solid mix of standards and original compositions, one of which, the title tune, featured poetic vocals by Donna McElroy and choral group Vox One:

After Fajr

Within the very early hours of the morning
There is a presence that is felt before the dawning
Fajr is near, Fajr is here, Fajr has come, my friend
There is an angel that arrives before the dawning
With all the Blessings that take place before the morning

Fajr is near, Fajr is here, Fajr has come, my friend

Don’t be sleepy, don’t be weary, don’t be absent
Don’t be missing, don’t be lazy, don’t be hazy
For the time is at hand, don’t you miss this great plan
I will be right there with you
Sharing all the things you do

And after Fajr we will find our way to beauty
And we will smile as we perform our worldly duties

Fajr is near, Fajr is here, Fajr has come, my friend

Fajr refers to the period between the first morning twilight and sunrise, and the prayers said by Moslems at that time.  The poem can be read that way, but perhaps there are wider meanings too, of changes in the air…

Good stuff here – well worth a listen, although I’d recommend that if you’re not familiar with Jamal’s body of work you explore several CDs over a range of years to see what you like best (assuming you have a well-stocked public library nearby).  Two reviews of this CD and information on the performers are available here and here, in case you’d like a second and third opinion to mine.

Ahmad Jamal

Ahmad Jamal was born Frederick Russell Jones on July 2, 1930.  A child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3, he began formal studies at age 7. While in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African-American concert singer and teacher Mary Caldwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation from Westinghouse High School at the age of 17, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1950, he formed his first trio, The Three Strings. Performing at New York’s The Embers club, Record Producer John Hammond “discovered” The Three Strings and signed them to Okeh Records (a division of Columbia, now Sony, Records).  (source)

He began using the name ‘Ahmad Jamal’ after his conversion to Islam around 1952. He is also a distant cousin of Malcolm X.

In 1951, Mr. Jamal first recorded Ahmad’s Blues on Okeh Records. His arrangement of the folk tune Billy Boy, and Poinciana (not his original composition), also stem from this period. In 1955, he recorded his first Argo (Chess) Records album that included New Rhumba, Excerpts From The Blues, Medley (actually I Don’t Want To Be Kissed), and It Ain’t Necessarily So — all later utilized by Miles Davis and Gil Evans on the albums “Miles Ahead” and “Porgy and Bess.” In his autobiography, Mr. Davis praises Mr. Jamal’s special artistic qualities and cites his influence. In fact, the mid-to-late 1950’s Miles Davis Quintet recordings notably feature material previously recorded by Mr. Jamal: Squeeze Me, It Could Happen To You, But Not For Me, Surrey With The Fringe On Top, Ahmad’s Blues, On Green Dolphin Street and Billy Boy. (source)

More on Jamal’s style and major influence on Miles Davis:

Jamal’s own playing was a model of economy; because he didn’t overwhelm listeners with his technique, his flashes of virtuosity had significantly more impact. His lines were spare and light, yet melodically and harmonically inventive, and driven by complex left-hand chord voicings that broke with Bud Powell’s right-hand emphasis. A chamber-like sensibility and a classical formality permeated much of his playing, yet he swung like a jazzman without fail.  Miles Davis greatly admired him, borrowing liberally from his repertoire and arrangements, and encouraging his pianist Red Garland to imitate Jamal’s playing as closely as possible; additionally, Jamal’s concepts of space and subtlety greatly affected Davis in his own right, both as a soloist and as a bandleader who (as it’s often put) let the music breathe.  (source)

In 1958, Jamal (along with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernell Fournier) made a live album for Argo Records entitled “But Not For Me.” The resulting hit single and album also included his version of Poinciana, which could be considered his “signature”. This album remained on the Ten Best-selling charts for 108 weeks — unprecedented then for a jazz album. This financial success enabled Jamal to open a restaurant/club, The Alhambra, in Chicago. Here the trio was able to perform in the `60’s and `70’s while limiting their touring schedule, and Jamal was able to do record production and community work.

In 1970, Jamal performed the title tune by Johnny Mandel for the soundtrack of the film “Mash!”
Starting in the 1980’s, but even more so in the 1990’s and 2000’s, Jamal began a more active period of touring (especially in Europe) and recording.  He expanded his familiar trio format to sometimes include a sax player, a role played at times by George Coleman and Stanley Turrentine, among others.  You probably can find several of his CDs on your next trip to the mega-books-and-coffee-shop.

In 1994, Mr. Jamal received the American Jazz Masters award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The same year he was named a Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University, where he performed commissioned works the Assai String Quartet. A CD is available of these works.

In 1995, two tracks from “But Not For Me” — Music, Music, Music and Poinciana — were featured in the Clint Eastwood film “The Bridges of Madison County.”

For more information:

An interview with Jamal is available at the AllAboutJazz website.  His official website is here, and a good fan website is here..  The Wikipedia entry on Jamal, which includes a discography and a downloadable sample of his music, is here, and the AllMusic Guide entry for him is here.

Friday News Bucket

Will wonders never cease:

“It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air…”

“…We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels…”

“…If we are contributing to the destruction of this planet, we need to do something about it.”

— Pat Robertson (Yes.  You read that right.  No, this is NOT an April Fools Joke)

Wednesday News Bucket

“We human beings do have some genuine freedom of choice and therefore some effective control over our own destinies. I am not a determinist. But I also believe that the decisive choice is seldom the latest choice in the series. More often than not, it will turn out to be some choice made relatively far back in the past.”

— Arnold Toynbee

Tuesday News Bucket

“The barbarous custom of having men beaten who are suspected of having important secrets to reveal must be abolished. It has always been recognized that this way of interrogating men, by putting them to torture, produces nothing worthwhile.”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

Ref: Napoleon to Berthier 11 Nov 1798, Corres., V, no. 3606 p. 128 quoted in – Napoleon on the Art of War