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"Conover's Coming Over: Willis Conover and Jazz at the Voice


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Conover's Coming Over: Willis Conover and Jazz at the Voice of America

“Willis Conover did more to crumble the Berlin wall and bring about the collapse of the Soviet empire than all the Cold War presidents put together,” jazz writer Gene Lees once said. Working for decades as a broadcaster for the Voice of America, Conover was perhaps the most influential and widely-heard jazz DJ of the 20th century. He brought the music into eastern Europe and other areas of the world where jazz was either repressed or commercially unavailable, helping to bridge the cultural gap between Western and Communist-bloc countries. In addition to the many fans he garnered around the globe, he counted jazz greats such as Duke Ellington among his friends. Willis Conover and Duke Ellington An advocate of breaking down racial barriers, a proponent and MC for the Newport Jazz Festival, and a force behind the National Endowment for the Art’s funding of jazz, Conover left his imprint upon the American jazz scene as well, but Congressional restrictions prevented his program Music USA from being aired in the United States, and consequently he remained, in some ways, a stranger in his own country. He was a sophisticated but lonely man who sacrificed much of his personal life for what he viewed as his calling–promoting jazz throughout the world over the Voice of America airwaves. He passed away in 1996 after a long battle with cancer, his efforts and achievements largely unrecognized by his own government.

Musical selections in this Night Lights program include both of the sides that Conover co-wrote with Alec Wilder and recorded with Charlie Byrd, an early Johnny Mandel arrangement of "The Song Is You" performed by the Orchestra (a D.C. big band that Conover presented), the Orchestra doing Bill Potts' Conover tribute "Willis" (with Charlie Parker sitting in), Louis Armstrong and the Newport International Band doing "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and Conover introducing Eubie Blake's performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever" at a 1969 New Orleans jazz festival. The program also features remarks from Conover biographer Terence Ripmaster and Conover himself, as well as excerpts from Conover's broadcasts and a tribute from jazz producer and Conover friend George Avakian.

"Conover's Coming Over" airs this evening at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville and at 11 p.m. EST on WFIU. It will also air Sunday evening at 10 EST on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio.

Edited by ghost of miles
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  • 7 months later...

Any views, opinions, comments on the book shown above (see pic)?

What aspects and what era does it concentrate mostly on? How is it written? Any other comments?

Obviously Willis Conover does have much more of a name over here in Europe due to his radio presence (yes, and listening to his 1956 "WIllis Conover's House of Sounds" as a piece of the times can't hurt either). But in case of the book, it all depends how the author captured the particular aspects of W.C.'s career.

Incidentally, the book got mentioned at some length on the website of a German news magazine (our national equivalent of "Newsweek") though it does not seem to be all that brand-new.

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  • 4 months later...

Former CBS Vietnam and Cold War correspondent Murray Fromson linked to this show today on the Huffington Post:

Restore the Voice

...really jazzed my morning. It's a good article, making the case that Obama should revive the Voice of America as a means of restoring the country's image around the world.

EDIT: Fromson's link to the Conover show is temporarily not working, as a result of Night Lights launching a new website last night (not all of the individual shows are redirecting yet). But any of the links I posted above should work for those interested in hearing the program.

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Speaking as someone who spent considerable time both lobbying for additional USIA/RFE/RL funds and helping to launch a new surrogate radio service for parts of Asia, I've always said that the int'l radio services are one of our most effective low dollar/high yield tools in the arsenal of int'l public diplomacy. VOA has typically had more of a 'what's happening in America' bent, while the surrogate services focus more on hard news and commentary, often providing important news/updates to citizens of nations who quite often are kept in the dark, by the regime in power, about internal developments taking place within their own country (Chris, if you see this post, please restrain yourself and resist the temptation to chime in. :g ). The problem, in this post-Soviet era, is that many of our legislators (faced with diminishing budgets) have difficulty comprehending the need to keep the radio services, let alone give them major cash infusions. Most people living in societies that are awash in information, don't quite realize how 'barren' it still is throughout parts of the globe. You also have a large number of people in the int'l community who feel that we're already in their faces enough about this & that....and the last thing they're looking for is a 'please allow me to introduce myself' radio blitz. Add to the equation the internet and it's even a tougher sell.

That said, I believe that Obama would be wise to light such a fire and beef up the VOA services....but he'll face resistance on both sides of the political aisle. Geez....Budgets!! Lobbying! Appropriations!! :excited: Dang!! 'till I saw this thread, I hadn't considered the possibility of serving inside the Obama Administration. David, I'm ready to swing into action on behalf of my new President! Who should I call? :cool:

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Speaking as someone who spent considerable time both lobbying for additional USIA/RFE/RL funds and helping to launch a new surrogate radio service for parts of Asia, I've always said that the int'l radio services are one of our most effective low dollar/high yield tools in the arsenal of int'l public diplomacy. VOA has typically had more of a 'what's happening in America' bent, while the surrogate services focus more on hard news and commentary, often providing important news/updates to citizens of nations who quite often are kept in the dark, by the regime in power, about internal developments taking place within their own country (Chris, if you see this post, please restrain yourself and resist the temptation to chime in. :g ). The problem, in this post-Soviet era, is that many of our legislators (faced with diminishing budgets) have difficulty comprehending the need to keep the radio services, let alone give them major cash infusions. Most people living in societies that are awash in information, don't quite realize how 'barren' it still is throughout parts of the globe. You also have a large number of people in the int'l community who feel that we're already in their faces enough about this & that....and the last thing they're looking for is a 'please allow me to introduce myself' radio blitz. Add to the equation the internet and it's even a tougher sell.

That said, I believe that Obama would be wise to light such a fire and beef up the VOA services....but he'll face resistance on both sides of the political aisle. Geez....Budgets!! Lobbying! Appropriations!! :excited: Dang!! 'till I saw this thread, I hadn't considered the possibility of serving inside the Obama Administration. David, I'm ready to swing into action on behalf of my new President! Who should I call? :cool:

According to a commenter on Fromson's post, Biden is a big VOA supporter--so maybe that helps the agency's chances? It does seem to me like this could still be a very useful medium for re-establishing international goodwill. I'll check with my political alter ego, though so far he hasn't succeeded in "embedding" himself with the Obama transition team, much to his red-faced chagrin. (I think he's a bit confused about the prez-elect's true ideological orientation and may be in for somewhat of a letdown.)

Doug Ramsey has now weighed in on the Fromson column as well. Isn't VOA still doing a bit of jazz, too?

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Fromson says:

"An entire generation may well be perplexed by just what the VOA means."

Yep...for sure.

On this issue of int'l public diplomacy, one thing that disturbs me to no end is the steady increase in the level of indignant carping (started in the late 80's/early 90's and has picked up steam) about Members of Congress and their staffs going on overseas trips. It's become almost a third rail for a pol to travel abroad let alone their professional staff members, as they nervously look over their shoulder for the next shoe to drop -- be it some 'good govt' watchdog group trying to made the headlines......or the local town paper.....or an opponent who spins a campaign ad hitting the pol for taking 'junkets.' What a bunch of fuzzy headed c-r-a-p......it's totally insane. We have elected representatives who hire professional issue oriented staff who are supposed to interact with their professional counterparts (and also public citizens) in all sorts of symposia/forums abroad on an A-Z of issues relating to finance, agriculture, construction, security, treaties, health & pharmaceuticals, energy, transportation, arms control, conservation, human rights -- you name it -- but the travel is now a mere trickle compared to what it was in, say, 1985 --and that's supposed to be a good thing??? :blink: Since near every public official is worried sick about the next round of 'gotcha!' stories about how he or she wasted taxpayer dollars by sending staff abroad a half-dozen times a year, lets leave the people's elected representatives back home because, god forbid, those are taxpayer dollars being spent on that 6-day staff trip to Taiwan and Japan to discuss trade, etc. No, instead, let's get to work and talk about beefing up the int'l airwaves and get busy beaming our 'message' around the globe. .....meanwhile, lets roll our eyes at those who have barely racked up any miles traveling outside of the country, and let's poke fun at politicians in DC for not having a clue about what's going on outside the U.S. (Oh, can you believe what a lightweight he/she is on foreign affairs issues? Gosh, talk about clueless!!! :rolleyes: ). Um, can you say total disconnect? It doesn't get much dumber than that, folks! <_<

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Doug Ramsey has now weighed in on the Fromson column as well. Isn't VOA still doing a bit of jazz, too?

1 Comments

By John Birchard on November 20, 2008 1:02 PM

As a retired newscaster from the Voice of America - and occasional contributor to Rifftides - I want to thank you for continuing to focus attention on the plight of VOA. I agree that readers should write their congresspeople.

But I also must tell you this: I wrote some months ago to Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), urging her to try to head off the further dismantling of the Voice. Her response? "Thank you for joining me in support of English lessons for immigrants."! No mention of VOA.

That's the unfortunate state of affairs on The Hill. But don't let that deter you from pursuing the lawmakers. Remember - quitters never win.

:lol: Okay, okay....send more staff overseas......just not the one responsible for penning THAT constituent response from Mikulski !! :ph34r:

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Doug Ramsey has now weighed in on the Fromson column as well. Isn't VOA still doing a bit of jazz, too?

1 Comments

By John Birchard on November 20, 2008 1:02 PM

As a retired newscaster from the Voice of America - and occasional contributor to Rifftides - I want to thank you for continuing to focus attention on the plight of VOA. I agree that readers should write their congresspeople.

But I also must tell you this: I wrote some months ago to Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), urging her to try to head off the further dismantling of the Voice. Her response? "Thank you for joining me in support of English lessons for immigrants."! No mention of VOA.

That's the unfortunate state of affairs on The Hill. But don't let that deter you from pursuing the lawmakers. Remember - quitters never win.

:lol: Okay, okay....send more staff overseas......just not the one responsible for penning THAT constituent response from Mikulski !! :ph34r:

Yeah, I saw that too--hilarious! One way to cattle-herd the ol' constituent requests, eh?

MG, try this for VOA:

Voice of America at Wikipedia

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Most people don't realize that these radio services aren't just about having a guy in the booth spin some lps and deliver the news of the day in 40 languages. For many decades, RFE/RL maintained a huge stable of distinguished academics/researchers at its research institute and housed one of the world's most extensive data bases for east european/Soviet affairs, including the largest collection of Soviet samizdat on earth. They released monthly research reports, usually about 65 pages in length, that were top notch, covering virtually every aspect of life in those nations. I'm sure that half of the foreign affairs desk goobers at the NYT, Wash Post, etc subscribed so that they could come off as erudite and in total command of 'issue x' to their readers. I probably have 20 years worth, a number of which are shown below. Red Menace might enjoy seeing these......although they didn't do much on the jazz front. :blush:

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  • 12 years later...

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