Yesterday the House of Representatives passed a unanimous resolution honoring the classic jazz album Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. I don’t know whether to laugh that the House wastes its time honoring great records or smile that for a brief second the House wasn’t doing something else. The text of the resolution is available here. (Thanks to reader Cecil VanDevender for the link.)
Steve says:
Whereas, on August 17, 1959, Miles Davis, Jimmy Cobb, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, and Julian `Cannonball’ Adderley collaborated to record the album `Kind of Blue’;
Whereas `Kind of Blue’ ranks 12th on the list of the `500 Greatest Albums of All Time’ published by Rolling Stone magazine;
Whereas `Kind of Blue’ was recorded in 1959, the year Columbia Records declared `jazz’s greatest year’;
Whereas `Kind of Blue’ marked the beginning of the mass popularity of jazz in the United States;
Whereas in 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded `Kind of Blue’ quadruple-platinum status, meaning 4,000,000 copies of the album had been sold;
Whereas in 2002, the Library of Congress added `Kind of Blue’ to the National Recording Registry;
Whereas `Kind of Blue’ was recognized as the bestselling record in the history of jazz;
Whereas 50 years after the release of `Kind of Blue’, MOJO magazine honored the Legacy Edition of the album by giving it the `Best Catalogue Release of the Year’ award;
Whereas `Kind of Blue’ both redefined the concept of jazz for musicians and changed the perceptions of jazz held by many fans;
Whereas today, the sole surviving member of the Miles Davis Sextet, Jimmy Cobb, is performing and touring with his So What Band in tribute to the 50th anniversary of `Kind of Blue’; and
Whereas `Kind of Blue’ continues to be the standard masterpiece of jazz for American musicians and audiences: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) honors the 50th anniversary of `Kind of Blue’ and recognizes the unique contribution the album has made to American jazz;
(2) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit enrolled copies of this resolution to Columbia Records;
(3) encourages the United States Government to take all appropriate steps to preserve and advance the art form of jazz music;
(4) recommits itself to ensuring that musical artists such as Miles Davis and his Sextet receive fair protection under the copyright laws of the United States for their contributions to culture in the United States; and
(5) reaffirms the status of jazz as a national treasure.
December 17, 2009, 11:04 amCurt Fischer says:
What? What about the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s?
December 17, 2009, 11:10 amDave N. says:
How about being amazed they could unanimously agree on ANYTHING?
If someone offered a resolution praising the sun for rising in the east and setting in the west, I would expect there to be vigorous debate and at least one “no” vote.
December 17, 2009, 11:14 amCJColucci says:
While I think the entire practice is silly, it has been going on for the entire lifetimes of most of us, and this is not even a particularly bad example. So why this one, and why now?
[OK Chimes in: Because I often blog about jazz and I often blog about Congress; hard to ignore their intersection.]
December 17, 2009, 11:15 amalkali says:
“Madam Speaker, I rise to protest that modal jazz is bulls**t.”
(I like Kind of Blue, but if the House is going to get into aesthetics, it should really bring the debate.)
December 17, 2009, 11:25 amJoseph Slater says:
“To my esteemed colleague, Rep. alkali. I, and the wonderful constituents I represent, got no kick against modern jazz. Unless they try and play it too darn fast. . . .”
December 17, 2009, 11:32 ambyomtov says:
Curt Fischer:
I second Curt’s objection. In fact, wasn’t the popularity of jazz declining somewhat around then?
December 17, 2009, 11:38 amStrict says:
“it has been going on for the entire lifetimes of most of us”
How about when the Senate convened to decide who are the “Greatest 5 Senators of All Time”? JFK’s 1957 speech announcing the results and explaining the decisionmaking process: Here.
Included is John C. Calhoun, the Senator who gave the famous speech about how slavery is a good thing (the best thing, actually). JFK’s spin was pretty good, eh.
December 17, 2009, 11:38 amuh_clem says:
Had this resolution been proposed when the record came out, you can bet that there would have been a huge hue and cry about glorifying “Negros” and “Junkies”. I doubt it would have made it out of committee, assuming for the sake of the argument that anyone would have been bold enough to suggest it in the first place. So the fact that this is unanimous today is rather amazing.
December 17, 2009, 11:44 amLyric Critic says:
Amazing! I’ve just been listening to “Kind of Blue” recently. I just wish they spent more of their time on this sort of stuff instead of trying to pass crappy legislation. I will gladly provide a list of one-hundred recordings that deserve similar recognition. Then we can proceed to books and movies if they need more to keep them out of trouble.
December 17, 2009, 11:52 amjiffy says:
Look for a Republican filibuster in the Senate.
December 17, 2009, 11:54 ambyomtov says:
I think Joseph Slater’s constituents’ preference for rockin’ little records they want their DJ to play was really increasing in 1959.
December 17, 2009, 11:58 amNR says:
If the House is going to waste its time honoring jazz albums, I’m at least gratified that it honored my all-time favorite. Kind of Blue is singular, sublime, I might even say perfect. Come to think of it,
December 17, 2009, 12:08 pmI’m putting it on right now.
PeteP says:
Luckily, they are also working on more important things, like the college football bowl system.
On a lighter note, the house passed another 174 BILLION dollars worth of spending for ‘jobs creation’ yesterday, in a big all-fired hurry so Nancy Pelosi could catch her chartered plane to Copenhagen, to make a speech.
December 17, 2009, 12:12 pmSuperSkeptic says:
Allow me to interject some cynicism:
and:
December 17, 2009, 12:19 pmLos Angeles Paralegal says:
Now THATS a conspiracy Volokh . . . I suggest that the House honor “Take 5″ by Dave Brubeck next time!
December 17, 2009, 12:33 pmkrs says:
I’m reminded of a SWPL post…
And I despise these resolutions and silly ceremonies. Miles Davis has been dead for 18 years and doesn’t care about the fact that a bunch of suits are willing to sign the equivalent of an awkwardly worded greeting card.
December 17, 2009, 12:38 pmTwirip says:
I looked at your link, which you might have done as it contains this:
December 17, 2009, 12:41 pmGranite26 says:
Last election I did some research on my Congressman (Al Green) on Thomas.gov. The only bills he introduced were piles of this nonsense, and mostly aimed at his ethnic demographic. Unfortunately his seat was extremely safe.
December 17, 2009, 12:44 pmrichard says:
I second Curt’s objection. In fact, wasn’t the popularity of jazz declining somewhat around then
Jazz declined in popularity with the ascendancy of bebop but certainly had a rise in popularity with Brubeck’s Take Five and then Miles’ Kind of Blue. Since Kind of Blue is the best selling jazz album of all time, it can’t be said that jazz declined in popularity with its release (although the statement that Kind of Blue marked the beginning of the mass popularity of jazz is just dead wrong – unless you are claiming that the ODJB, Armstrong, Goodman, Ellington, etc aren’t jazz)
December 17, 2009, 12:46 pmyasha says:
Actually 1959 was the same year that Brubeck’s Time Out and Coltrane’s giant Steps were released. There was probably never a better year in jazz.
December 17, 2009, 12:49 pmBT says:
So there are 435 voting members of the House. My guess is that less than 50 of them have ever even heard of Miles and know anything about his music. I can just see Barney Frank with his ipod groovin’ to Witches and Devils by Albert Ayler right about now…..
December 17, 2009, 12:57 pmStrict says:
Twirip,
That’s called “spin.” “We’re not calling this the 5 greatest Senators, it’s just a list of 5 Senators in our history who were really great, you see, greater than other Senators…”
December 17, 2009, 1:09 pmbyomtov says:
Actually 1959 was the same year that Brubeck’s Time Out and Coltrane’s giant Steps were released. There was probably never a better year in jazz.
I’m talking about popularity, not quality of output. My comment really is based on just my impressions, so could be dead wrong, especially about the decline. The statement about the beginning of mass popularity does seem just plain wrong, though.
December 17, 2009, 1:24 pmCJColucci says:
I’m disappointed that nobody has said “So What?” yet.
December 17, 2009, 1:24 pmGordon Langston says:
While they’re back in 1959 maybe they could fix Social Security.
December 17, 2009, 1:53 pmdoubled says:
CJ : “I’m disappointed that nobody has said “So What?” yet.”
No, no, no that’s an album by Joe Walsh.
December 17, 2009, 1:58 pmjosh says:
Professor, do you honestly think the preparation, introduction and vote for this resolution actually took a lot of time and effort? Really? Seems to me that, in the grand scheme of things (the “doing something else” you refer to), this is truly nominal.
And, since honoring Kind of Blue is a moral imperative in my view, the benefits certainly outweigh the minimal costs.
December 17, 2009, 2:07 pmdoubled says:
But I suppose Al Gore’s recent troubles could be termed : “Blue in Green”.
December 17, 2009, 2:07 pmArkady says:
Right. In the meantime, no final action has been taken on Pass Id. How many folks who read this blog know that if you’re a citizen of state that is, as of Jan 1, 2010, nonconforming with respect to the Real Id Act, you will not be able to use your driver’s license to board an aircraft in the US or enter a federal office building in the US? You’ll need a passport for that, or, in the case of air travel, you’ll have to go through additional screening.
I dunno what will happen if you try to get into a federal courthouse to take to oath to become a US citizen….
December 17, 2009, 2:07 pmKazinski says:
Where is the resolution for Potato Head Blues?
December 17, 2009, 2:18 pmjiffy says:
Any tributes to “Let’s Spend the Night Together?”
December 17, 2009, 2:20 pmJoseph Slater says:
Al Green? “Take Me to the River” is great song, both his original and the cover by the Talking Heads.
December 17, 2009, 3:07 pmAndrew Schoppe says:
I’m inspired.
December 17, 2009, 3:12 pmIs there a way to ensure that this is the ONLY sort of thing that Congress can do?
Dilan Esper says:
What? What about the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s?
Yeah, exactly. Jazz was never more popular than it was in the swing era, when a form of it was basically the dominant pop idiom in America, and the biggest music stars in the country were big band leaders like Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Harry James, and Tommy Dorsey, as well as the musicians and singers who worked with them, such as Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra.
Miles Davis was really good, and I have no problem giving the man his props, but that shouldn’t be a license to say things that are massively untrue.
December 17, 2009, 3:36 pmLior says:
I think those members of the House who wasted their time debating and voting on this resolution should be prosecuted for “depriv[ing] [the US people] of the intangible right of honest services” of Congress!
(Come to think about it, it is not clear that members of Congress are capable of providing honest services in the first place; the statute might not apply to them at all)
December 17, 2009, 3:42 pmA.S. says:
Birth of the Cool was better.
December 17, 2009, 3:49 pmLeo Marvin says:
Only good can come from any attention paid to Kind of Blue. I only wish they’d stopped and listened to the whole thing. As for worse ways they could have spent their time, we can all be grateful they didn’t honor Bitch’s Brew.
December 17, 2009, 3:54 pmLeo Marvin says:
… or Tiger Woods.
December 17, 2009, 4:03 pmJerrod Ankenman says:
The best part of this resolution is the copyright clause. After all, if they don’t enforce the copyright on Kind of Blue, Miles Davis might not be able to make more records like it.
December 17, 2009, 4:13 pmHouse of Representatives Honors “Kind of Blue” | Liberal Whoppers says:
[...] more here: House of Representatives Honors “Kind of Blue” Share this [...]
December 17, 2009, 5:20 pmNR says:
Birth of the Cool was better.
Birth of the Cool is a great and important album. But I would have a hard time accepting that any album is “better” than Kind of Blue, just as I would have a hard time accepting that some sculpture is “better” than David or some painting is “better” than Guernica. One can certainly have preferences, but masterpieces are masterpieces. At some point, it doesn’t make sense to rank them.
December 17, 2009, 5:21 pmAllan Walstad says:
I take it Ron Paul did not waste his time casting a ballot?
December 17, 2009, 5:36 pmL says:
Allan: Ron Paul voted in favour; see the full roll here.
December 17, 2009, 5:58 pmJeff Walden says:
If you happen to be like me and are insufficiently culturally enlightened:
http://www.last.fm/music/Miles+Davis/Kind+of+Blue
I’m working through the first of the tracks right now. So far I think I prefer Vince Guaraldi or George Winston, but it’s still good stuff. :-)
December 17, 2009, 6:06 pmTweets that mention The Volokh Conspiracy » Blog Archive » House of Representatives Honors “Kind of Blue” -- Topsy.com says:
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December 18, 2009, 5:58 pmJason Parker says:
As I wrote on my blog (read the post here), while it’s great to get some high-level press for anything related to jazz, this rings VERY hollow to me in the face of all the budget cuts to arts funding and John McCain’s recent ridiculing of jazz from the floor of the Senate.
Sure would be nice if they practiced what the preached!
December 19, 2009, 6:01 pm