radio boise show #7

one long weekend out of town & it feels like about a month since the last show.
:: new music from crosss, like a rocket, band of skulls...
:: trax from albums that turn 25 this week, like deicide, biohazard, danzig, sonic youth, teenage fanclub, manic street preachers...

from the portland experience, i was introduced to reed college. reed still carries the ethos of a 1920s college education. the t-shirt in the bookstore featured the seal of the college with the three characteristics of "atheism" "communism" and "free love".  something about that by itself suggests something deep and insightful, not all about churning out cogs in the wheel, preparing a student for a workforce. instead, it is an embodiment of ideals encouraging people to think for the themselves.  which accomplishes two great things, makes people smarter, makes workers more useful. i know americans don't wanna agree with things like that, but just think for a minute about why it's better to work for, say, apple than mcdonald's.

also at reed, i was reminded of a great person that is the newest member of the rabble rouser hall of fame.

Ben Linder

Ben Linder mural at Reed College

a portland native, graduate of adams high school in 1977, ben graduated from university of washington with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1983.  shortly thereafter, ben moved to nicaragua to assist in works projects of building dams to provide fresh water and electricity to poor villages. the 1980s was a decade long war in which the u.s. government funded and trained the contras to overthrow the government and oust the sandanistas.  by every measure, the contras were brutal terrorists bent on destroying every element of society from churches to crops to especially electricity. they planted landmines on civilian roadways and basically engaged in any action that would intimidate the masses to not support the government. in was in the hostile environment of el cua that ben linder was working on a hydro-electric plant. in April 1987, Ben and two associates were killed at point blank range by Contra militiamen, specifically targeting ben because he was an american and what his mission was. as pointed to on liberation theology website,

The assassination of Benjamin Linder was part of a deliberate contra policy to murder civilians working in education, health and development programs. 

the dam was completed in 1994 with the help of ben's friends and family members. it now provides electricity and drinking water to thousands of people in the cua-bocay region. the memory of ben linder lives on well into the twenty first century. in 1999, joan kruckewitt published a book called The Death of Ben Linder: The Story of a North American in Sandanista Nicaragua.

Mark Angeles graduated on may 18 from reed college with a degree in chemistry and environmental studies. he was also a founder of the reed bicycle co-op, which provided bicycles to students in need. ten days after graduation, mark was killed in a traffic collision with a tow truck in southesat portland. during the recent reed class reunion, and on the day of pridefest, a memorial ride was held across campus and then to pridefest downtown. a lot of heavy speeches were given, all of which support the outstanding student as a beacon of hope in the world. one great quote i took away from it was one of his close friends relaying an experience they had shared together, capped by mark's words, "i'm so glad i did this. it was so good for my soul!"

Ornette Coleman
from the music's over, a tribute to the saxophonist:

Ornette Coleman was one of the true greats of jazz.  As a saxophonist, he pioneered what would become to be called “free jazz.” In fact, he is often credited with actually inventing it, or at least putting a name to it, after naming his 1960 album,  Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation. Born in Forth Worth, TX., Coleman spent much of his early career traveling around the United States performing along regional jazz circuits.  Along the way he began to incorporate country blues and R&B into his sound.  In his slower pieces, his high timbre can come across as crying, which appealed to fans of the blues as well.  In 1959, while living in New York, Coleman released The Shape of [Jazz] To Come, and a year later, Free Jazz.  Both releases broke him through in a big way and laid the foundation for the avant-garde movement of the 1960s and beyond.   In later years Coleman dabbled in rock, even performing with the Grateful Dead on occasion.  In 2007, he became the first musician to win a Pulitzer Prize – for his album, Sound Grammar.  He continued to perform and record up until the time of his death.  Ornette Coleman was 85 when he died of cardiac arrest on June 11, 2015.

oregonlive re-printed this review of his 2006 album Sound Grammar following his passing.
a couple links to some of ornette's notorious works
Shape of Jazz To Come (1958)
Free Jazz (1960)
Change of the Century (1960)
This is Our Music (1961)
Science Fiction (1971)
Body Meta (1976)
Dancing In Your Head (1977)

stay tuned next week for insight into the world of doula's...