Larry Tye - Jazz – Backdrop to the Civil Rights Movement
May 14, 2024
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Biographer Larry Tye discusses his book on Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie who transformed America and set the stage for civil rights. They endured racial bigotry, Jewish connections, Jewish origins of Superman, and the moral complexities of the jazz legends. The podcast explores their impact on society, the jazz language, Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s potential political aspirations, and the power of storytelling in conveying important messages.
Jazz legends like Ellington, Armstrong, and Basie broke racial barriers through music.
Thai explores personal complexities of jazz icons, delving beyond public personas.
Larry Thai discusses forthcoming book on Jewish resistance to the Holocaust.
Deep dives
Larry Thai: Exploring the Transformative Power of Jazz Icons
Larry Thai delves into the lives of iconic jazz figures like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie, highlighting their crucial role in promoting racial justice and reshaping American culture. Thai emphasizes their resilience in the face of racial segregation and dangers, showcasing how their music transcended racial barriers and influenced societal attitudes.
Jazz Legends' Impact on Civil Rights Movement
Thai discusses how Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie became beacons of the civil rights movement through their music. Despite facing racial discrimination, they used their melodies to break down racial barriers, emphasizing the power of music in fostering unity and social change.
Complexities of Jazz Legends' Personal Lives
The podcast highlights the personal complexities of jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. Thai explores their struggles with faith, fidelity, and personal vices, showcasing a nuanced portrayal of these iconic musicians beyond their public personas.
Jewish Resistance and Adolfo Kaminsky's Story
Larry Thai reveals a forthcoming book on Jewish resistance to the Holocaust through the life of Adolfo Kaminsky, known as the Forger of Paris. This narrative challenges misconceptions about Jewish passivity during the Holocaust by portraying acts of resistance and heroism.
Impacts of Shock Therapy and Mental Health Treatment
The podcast delves into the controversial topic of shock therapy, highlighting its efficacy in mental health treatment. Thai and Kitty Dukakis explore the positive outcomes of shock therapy in addressing addiction and mental health issues, challenging stigmas associated with this treatment.
Biographer (Bobby Kennedy and Satchel) and award-winning reporter Larry Tye talked to us about his newest book, The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie Transformed America. All three of these iconic musicians, Tye noted, though from different backgrounds, had to endure Jim Crow and racial bigotry but "opened the eyes, ears and souls" of White men and the women they wooed and "set the table for the civil rights movement." Tye took on this writing task out of a promise he made to Black Pullman porters. His many books have resulted from what he, as a journalist, was drawn to enough to devote three years to. The Jazzmen emerged from looking for what these three musical geniuses did in music and the world and despite Tye describing himself as tone deaf and knowing nothing about music and discovering the moral feet of clay of all three of these men of faith. We discussed the lives and times of each of the three and then talked about women in jazz – mostly singers except for Armstrong's wife, Lillian Hardin, and we touched on the origin of the nickname Satchmo for Armstrong and the different class backgrounds of the three and some of their famous sidemen as well as the links between the three and Jewish managers, bandmates and mobsters and Armstrong's adoption by a Jewish family and the Jewish origins of Superman. We spoke, too, of jazz language, Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck and what Bobby Kennedy Senior might have felt about his son and namesake running for president.
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