Episode 69: Music for a Country in Limbo

This is an unprecedented episode of Tropicology in that I have never pulled together a show so quickly before air time. I waited and waited to see what would happen with the election so that I could have appropriate programming for good news, bad news, or the waiting game. It is Saturday morning now, and good news has arrived: even Fox News has called the race for Joe Biden. Under normal circumstances this would be time to celebrate. But what has become clear is that the story will not be over when the counting is done. Trump has vowed that he will fight results in the courts, but more importantly he has already committed to a narrative that Democrats are using fraud to steal the election. If we know anything about Trump, we know that he will not back down from that position, ever. Trump’s most fervent supporters will always believe this was a crooked election, and that is like a big dose of slow-acting poison for our country. 

I have to testify earnestly that this is the biggest crisis I have seen in our country in my lifetime. This is extremely dangerous stuff when the President and other top officials in our country are alleging fraud in the US election system, undermining public faith in our democratic process. And so, today, I cannot play a soundtrack for a celebration, I cannot even play moments of zen… today I have to play it like it is. Today our country has lost its way, and we are teetering on the edge of real danger. Those are the themes I am playing today, drawing from the US jazz scene of the turbulent 60s and 70s. This is a soundtrack for a descent. This is a playlist for things falling apart.