( 3:48 PM )
Strange music story...
Yesterday I was at an FCC press conference. Chairman Michael Powell (son of Colin) was announcing a new initiative to study localism and broadcasting. Mostly he was scrambling to cover his ass after the wave of criticism over the decision to relax the media ownership rules.
The press conference was heavily attended, especially considering this was the FCC. August in Washington is typically a slow news time. Everybody is on vacation and not much is going on (current events in the Middle East notwithstanding). All the major networks were there, and C-SPAN carried it live.
Background music played in the conference room while members of the media set up cameras, snooped around looking for coffee and shot the shit. It was mostly elevator music--the kind of bland stuff you would expect to hear.
When Powell entered the room, they killed the music and the press conference started.
After Powell finished, he exited quickly, ignoring the trail of reporters chasing after him, and disappeared into an adjoining hallway. The music started back up again, but this time it wasn't elevator music. "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" came on--a fusion number by Miles Davis from Bitches Brew, and one of my absolute favorite Miles songs. This blew me away. To me this was a bigger story than anything Michael Powell had to say. I wanted to know who picked it, how it ended up over the speaker in a conference room at the FCC. Miles' fusion period frightens and offends most people. Where did this come from?
If you aren't familiar with Bitches Brew, go out and buy it and listen to it in the dark with a stiff drink. If it's not your bag, then at least check out "Sanctuary," the final track. Anyone who isn't impressed by that may not be human.
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