Then As Now: The Music Is To Die For

Hey, it's September 1, 1939 and at the top of the charts is Glenn Miller with the, whoops, singularly inappropriate tune "In the Mood." In the mood for what? Invading Poland? Because that was "officially" the start of World War II in Europe. In the Far East, things had been going on considerably longer, but we wouldn't get officially involved in that until December 7, 1941. And, guess what? Once more Glenn Miller and His Orchestra topped the charts with "Chatanooga Choo Choo." This fit the times slightly better, because plenty of US GI's were making the acquaintance of the choo choo maybe for the first time. The USA was still in the railroad age, but there was now a war on and people all over the country got to meet their far off neighbors. Too bad this was the reason. Because both tunes are upbeat and optimistic. Believe me, we were going to need it.

It's funny how Miller seems to have caught the temper of the times so well. You'd think Artie Shaw's "Nightmare" would have been a lot more appropriate, but Shaw beat the Axis to the punch, recording it in 1938. Could this have been the reason for Shaw's dislike of Miller's music? Professional jealousy? Perish the thought. You sort of hate to be persistent, but it was Miller who recorded "American Patrol" in 1942, well before he had his rendezvous with destiny. He did not write the tune, by the way, which went back to 1885. But then, we fought enough wars back in those days too—Mexican, Civil, and Spanish American. They all produced music, some of it pretty compelling.

You hate to think that death is inspirational. But then Dame Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" (1939) provided comfort to all those who were apart from their loved ones in Great Britain while the British were getting hammered. Unfortunately, combat seems to be an occasion for lots of memorable music, much of it identifiably jazz of one kind or another. Of course, not all of it is patriotic, upbeat, or even vaguely militaristic. My all-time favorite in that vein is Sun Ra's Nuclear War (1984), a time when the military war-gamed to stuff called "Able Archer" and the Soviets with their SS 20s were convinced we were coming for them with MX Missiles. The lyrics are unprintable, but, I guess, nuclear war is the ultimate obscenity, so Sun Ra, whatever else you may think of him, probably got it right.

Lest you think music does not have perfectly acceptable uses—not just protest—remember Operation Just Cause (1989-1990) when the United. States invaded Panama to depose Narco-Presidente Manuel Noriega. Noriega holed up seeking refuge in the Vatican Embassy, but that was not about to stop the Southern Command of the US Army from taking on the guy. But, hah, it was not jazz that played a critical role. Fittingly enough, a fleet of humvees kitted out with speakers rolled up and played music by Guns 'N' Roses and The Doors nonstop and at ear-splitting volume 24-7 until Noriega succumbed. Yeah, rock did the deed, not jazz. I mean, really. Aside from Art Blakey's Free For All (Blue Note, 1965), what could you have used that would have rattled Noriega more? Matter of taste, I guess.

And then there was Viet Nam. For Boomers, that was the war set to music that came into the otherwise insulated living rooms of Middle America. We're not just talking protest, you know, or patriotic stuff, like "The Ballad of the Green Berets" although that's not jazz by any means. Not much of it was, really—at least not explicitly. We tend to think of songs of protest, although everyone knew someone (or knew someone who knew someone) who actually sang "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" as a grunt. Maybe there wasn't much jazz out of Viet Nam, but there were songs of loss. "Don't Take Your Love to Town" may never be great music let alone jazz. But you had to be pretty dense not to get the message. War is Hell. It always was. Always will be. Music cannot change that. Even if it is to die for.

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