jacked UP jazz: Richard Pryor

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Before we spend some more money on rehersal

We will see

It certainly was an eventful week.

Personally, I thought the Reverend Doctor President Barack Obama was a bit pitchy, in his rendition of Amazing Grace at his trial sermon.

But church folk are having none of it. You cannot say one single solitary word of derision about the President's foray into the pastoral arts without a rapid and aggressive defense from the faithful. If Barack Obama wasn't the black people's president before, he certainly without a doubt is the black people's president after his Friday eulogy of Clementa Pinkney.

There is a long standing tradition within the black church of tolerating less than prodigious musical performance as long as you are raising up your voice to glorify the Lord. In his efforts to make a joyful noise it seems the president is to be the beneficiary of this forbearance. President Obama seems to have been conferred with all the spiritual deference that might be accorded to Sister Odell.

Let me suggest that in the future we simply let the musicians throw in an assist. Church organists are notorious for being world class in their oeuvre and with a 20 second advance hint about what is to come they can set your key and head nod the choir into harmonized and orchestrated back up vocals that you can ride like a magic carpet.

Being both president and pastor in chief is quite a bit of responsibility for one man. Carrying around all the hopes, dreams and aspirations of a people can be quite a heavy burden.

We will see indeed!