We’re taking a day away from our regular schedule to reflect upon the political system in the United States. Considering that our U.S. readers will experience Election Day next Tuesday, it seems like a timely thing to consider. It’s also a great opportunity to see how politics have inspired creative expression in the Latin Jazz world . . .

As I’ve spent the past months watching the presidential debates and weighing the issues affecting the United States today, one question about the candidates has been consistently bothering me - What exactly are Obama and McCain listening to on their iPods? This seems like a shallow question considering the state of our Nation as we approach November 4th, but I think that the answer would tell us a bit more about the candidates. We see and hear the candidates on television, in magazines, and online, but so much of their rhetoric seems pre-written and carefully constructed. Music is an honest reflection of our identities, and our listening choices reveal a lot about our personalities, backgrounds, and moral fibers. It provides enjoyment, provokes thought and reflection, and inspires creativity. Former president Bill Clinton bonded with the public over music, and we all got to know him well. Sharing musical preferences would probably be a good move for Obama and McCain, but in reality, I don’t think that I’ll ever get the answer to my question. All I can do is hope that there’s one album on constant rotation in their headphones - Land of Nod by Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band.

What Is The Land Of Nod?
Washburne reflects deeply upon the state of our country on Land of Nod, painting the picture of a political system gone astray. The title references the work of author Jonathan Swift, who in his 1938 collection A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, associated the phrase with being asleep. The idea of sleep serves as a metaphor for being unaware, uninvolved, or uninterested in the world around you. Over the past eight years, our government has acted unaware of the country’s needs and uninterested in those not serving their agenda. Our leadership should be the ones guiding us towards a peaceful future, but they simply haven’t done that; without direction, we’ve drifted. As many people fall under the spell of their televisions, video games, and internet connections, their attention shifts away from the atrocities that are currently befalling our country. The instigators like Washburne and his group stand in the minority; it’s much easier to be silent than to speak. Many pieces of our country have drifted through the past 8 years asleep while other parts struggled; as Washburne implies, we have truly lived in a land of nod.

Washburne’s Political Message and Addictive Latin Jazz
Washburne finds a powerful balance between addictively danceable Latin Jazz and an overtly political message with his compositions. The album’s first three tracks symbolize the county’s spiraling condition through the fading of the United States flag. The iconic red, white, and blue can be found in three tracks: “Pink,” “Off White,” and “Blue Gust.” Each song creates a powerful forward motion with Latin grooves, but the dissonance and jagged melodies signal an underlying message. From the angular montuno that opens “Pink” to the collective improvisation that closes “Blue Gust,” Old Glory has never looked so ragged. A hypnotic son montuno groove cycles beneath a series of soloists on “Land of Nod,” creating a distinct contrast. The soloists engage in fiery improvisations, almost screaming with a call to action against the sleepy consistency of the montuno figure. The album closes with two poignant pieces, both entitled “Peace.” The first version is a 6/8 arrangement of an Ornette Coleman composition that burns with our country’s urgent call for peace. The second version presents Washburne and reed player Ole Mathisen’s rubato interpretation of Horace Silver’s melody that puts the simplicity of peace into perspective. The album overflows with meaning and power, sending a political wake-up call while maintaining a high level of musicality and Latin Jazz aesthetics.

Waking Up From The Land of Nod
Washburne performs a strongly patriotic act by encouraging our country out of its slumbers and into action - something that we need to see happen next Tuesday, November 4th. The Bush administration has been asleep at the wheel over the past 8 years, following its own agenda while our country painfully suffered the consequences. We’ve jumped into an endless war in Iraq with questionable causes, we’ve experienced tragic natural disasters with unacceptable government response, and we’re living through an economic pitfall as a result of the current administration’s policies. Our next president needs to be aware of the dangers found in the land of nod, and they need to stay awake in order to rebuild our country’s strength and pride. At the same time, we have a responsibility as citizens next week, and we can’t let it pass by while we remain in a state of slumber. Take advantage of your given right as a citizen next Tuesday – get to the polls and VOTE! Change occurs as the result of action, not passive observance; so remove yourself from the land of nod and cast your vote. Follow the prime example set by Washburne and the SYOTOS Band and make a change . . . our future depends on it.

By the way, take a listen to Land of Nod before next Tuesday for some inspiration, reflection, and a poignant political message . . . and let’s hope that Obama and McCain are doing the same.

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Check Out These Posts:
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: Manhattan Mambo, Hilton Ruiz
Completing The Picture: Early Paquito D’Rivera Re-Issues
Exploring Afro-Peruvian Jazz
2 Legendary Latin Jazz Congueros

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