Obama Music

Wired responds to Barack Obama's iPod playlist being outed in Rolling Stone magazine

The thought of a President who publicly acknowledges a fondness for Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane is sweet indeed. Certainly Bill Clinton made vague gestures toward being hip, and he did reinstate Jazz on the Whitehouse Lawn (anyone have a transcription of his All Blues solo?)but can Bill ever be forgiven for Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow? More apropos, it turns out, for Clinton's tenure would have been Cecil Taylor's One Too Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye, but that's another story.

The true Presidential hero of the music was of course Jimmy Carter. Imagine Cecil Taylor anywhere near the Whitehouse, let alone being hosted as an honored guest and performer. Imagine John McCain's iPod playlist, or GW Bush's for that matter. Lee Greenwood is easy to make fun of, I know, but how sad is it that most of the old white guys to whom we repeatedly see fit to hand the reins of power are absolutely ignorant of one of the greatest cultural contributions the US has ever made to the world?

An open plea to Mr. Obama, should he get elected: please immediately remove this man and revamp this curriculum, with much less Marsalis sauce. Thanks!