Thanksgiving
While simple on the face of it, Thanksgiving is actually a complicated holiday. It means different things to different people and cultures. To say the least, the mainstream story of pilgrims and “Indians” peacefully coexisting and dining together, rather than on each other, is quite a bit of revisionist history. To say more, European settlers committed atrocities and genocide against the indigenous peoples of this continent. To celebrate this myth without noting its fallacy is most insensitive to their ancestors. WPFW will have special programming immediately following our program, beginning at 8:00 a.m.
On the other hand, Thanksgiving is a holiday with relatively low expectations and commercialism compared to many. It is also a time for friends, families, and other loved ones to gather and share an offering of gratitude for what they have, including each other. And, it is our nation’s only specific harvest celebration, which has deep meaning to me. All summer long, I cook what my lovely wife grows in our little back yard and what we source at small, neighborhood farmers markets. So to me, Thanksgiving will always be about food & drink and my gratitude that we can feast on artichokes homegrown in Northwest DC.
The Program
So, tomorrow morning’s show, will feature vocals about food and drink, along with instrumentals with food and/or drink in their titles. I will draw from a wide range of artists and sub-genres of jazz. Hopefully, with some creative transitions, it will hold together as a cohesive program. I won’t commit to specific artist or songs at this time, save for a promise to play Louis Jordan singing Ain’t Nobody Here but Us Chickens.
As we say in radio, “Stay tuned.”
