Honoring the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album "Kind of Blue" and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 894) honoring the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album ``Kind of Blue'' and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Today we honor Miles Davis, the trumpet player, and his sextet, recognizing the 50th year of the recording of one of the legendary jazz tunes, one of the most important too of the 20th century, that was an album called ``Kind of Blue.'' It was recorded in New York, a Manhattan church turned recording studio--and there were six other people with Miles Davis: John Coltrane; Julian ``Cannonball'' Adderley; Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, pianists; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, the drummer--and made musical history and changed the artistic landscape of this country and in some ways the world.

At the Congressional Black Caucus event this past September, we honored the only living artist of that recording date, Jimmy Cobb, the drummer, who was there and who performed, as a matter of fact. It was a great time for a great event that occurred 50 years ago.

The reason that it was great was that each one of these artists-- Coltrane, Adderley, Davis, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb--all became musical leaders in their own right. And they were experimenting with what was once called bebop, now progressive jazz, and some went on to modal jazz, which I'm still finding out what that's all about. They'd usually take chords of a song, sometimes a ballad or a popular song, and then substitute chords, and then you'd get this creative improvisation of what their interpretation of a song means to them. And that's what modern jazz is, of course, all about.

So with the event that the Congressional Black Caucus had with the only living musician from that historic recording, this gives us a chance and an opportunity to understand what this contribution to music means to the American cultural scene.

Jazz is celebrated all over the world. I introduced a concurrent resolution on jazz, H. Con. Res. 57--I have forgotten what year now, but it was passed in both the House and the Senate--and it celebrated this contribution, this musical contribution that's been appreciated, reinterpreted all over the world. Whenever and wherever I travel, I always try to locate the musicians, whether it's in Norway or Jamaica or Germany. This music is still going on and it's something that we celebrate, and I'm glad to bring before the House today this resolution, 894, for passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to one of the people who knows a little about this music and who has come a long way from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute merely to say that I appreciate the gentleman from Tennessee because an earlier jazz started in his State, in Memphis and in Nashville. The roots of it were embedded in the modern jazz of the music that we reaffirm today as a national treasure.

Before I yield back the balance of my time, because I studied music as a young person, I owe these musicians a debt of gratitude because it was they who recommended that I go to law school, so I am grateful to them for helping my career.

I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I support Chairman Conyers' sponsorship of House Resolution 894, which honors the 50th anniversary of the album ``Kind of Blue'' and reaffirms jazz as a national treasure.

I thank Chairman Conyers for his excellent work over many years to honor and support jazz not only in music halls but in the Halls of Congress.

In 1987, Chairman Conyers' House Concurrent Resolution 57 designated jazz a national American treasure. Taking its name from this resolution, the HR-57 Center for the Presentation of Jazz and Blues later established itself on 14th Street in Washington, D.C., to educate aspiring musicians on the history and culture of jazz and blues.

In 1990, Chairman Conyers won passage of appropriations legislation awarding the Smithsonian Institute with funding to establish a comprehensive jazz program, including the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.

Chairman Conyers has long supported efforts to present live jazz to the public in Washington, D.C. He has served on the board of directors of such organizations as Capital City Jazz Festivals, Inc., the National Jazz Service Organization, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. His love of jazz is shared by many. Jazz is an historic American creation, and as such, it certainly should be honored and supported by Congress today.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the famous jazz album ``Kind of Blue.'' On August 17, 1957, Miles Davis and his ensemble sextet collaborated to record ``Kind of Blue.'' This album popularized jazz like never before. It led Columbia Records to declare 1959 as ``jazz's greatest year.'' Today, ``Kind of Blue'' is recognized as the best- selling jazz album of all time. Its influence on music beyond jazz alone has led music writers to view it as one of the most influential albums ever. In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the

National Recording Registry. In 2003, ``Kind of Blue'' was ranked No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

One reviewer called ``Kind of Blue'' a defining moment of 20th century music. Ashley Kahn, the author of the book ``Kind of Blue: The Making of a Miles Davis Masterpiece,'' called it ``the premier album of its era, jazz or otherwise.'' Pianist Chick Corea, one of Miles Davis' acolytes, said, ``It's one thing to just play a tune or play a program of music, but it's another thing to practically create a new language of music, which is what `Kind of Blue' did.''

As a distinctly American language of music, jazz is rightfully honored by Chairman Conyers' resolution today. So it is with great pleasure that I join him in supporting this resolution, and I urge our colleagues to support the resolution as well.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night and earlier today I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 779, H. Res. 942, H. Res. 894, H.R. 1517, and H.R. 3978 and wish the record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Last night, I met with constituents of mine in a town hall forum at the Prairie Winds Retirement Center in Urbana, Illinois and I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 969 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 779, Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Runaway Prevention Month, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 970 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 942, Commending the Real Salt Lake soccer club for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 971 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 894, Honoring the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album ``Kind of Blue'' and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure, I would have voted ``aye.'' One of my constituents, Lamont Parsons of Urbana, Illinois, is a regionally famous jazz guitarist who has inspired in

me and many of my constituents a lifelong appreciation for jazz and its influences and it truly is a national treasure.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 972 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 1517, To allow certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who serve under an overseas limited appointment for at least 2 years, and whose service is rated fully successful or higher throughout that time, to be converted to a permanent appointment in the competitive service, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 973 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 3978, First Responders Anti-Terrorism, Training Resources Act, I would have voted ``aye.''

I thank the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, we all start as a tabula rasa in all areas of life. Then we grow, and we have the opportunity to learn. In my fewer number of years here on Earth than the chairman, I have learned quite a bit about jazz myself.

It has been my honor to have friends who have been involved in jazz in Memphis--particularly, the late Phineas Newborn, Jr., who was a great pianist, one of the great jazz pianists of all time. He was a Memphian, and he was known by jazz musicians all over the world as a great jazz pianist. Others have come from Memphis and have gone to New York, which is oftentimes where jazz is played.

Marvin Stamm, a great flugelhorn player, performed with different orchestras throughout the country as a Memphian. He went to North Texas State University for his education where he got a degree in jazz band, which is one of the few places in the world, Mr. Smith's State, that has jazz band distinction.

In New York, there are Bradley's, Village Vanguard and all of those wonderful places where you historically have been able to hear people like Art Blakey. I was able to see Max Roach in Baltimore once at a jazz festival. I am a fan of Charlie Parker's and of Miles Davis. They are great jazz musicians. I think all musicians respected Miles Davis as one of the greatest influences on their lives regardless of whether they were rockers or whether they were blues musicians or jazz performers.

I thank the chairman for his appreciation of what is a uniquely American cultural achievement, one that the world holds dear and respects America for. The appreciation of jazz is an art form that is being lost to our students. It is one that needs to be taught in our schools and that needs to be maintained as a living and breathing expression of the American art industry.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the actions of the House in recognizing the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' ground breaking recording, Kind of Blue. I would also like to thank Representative Conyers for his spirited commitment to preserving the American art form known as jazz. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, Miles Davis brought together six gifted musicians, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, and Jimmy Cobb. These men, who we now revere as jazz legends, under Davis' lead, fashioned the best selling jazz album of all time. It is no wonder that Kind of Blue is ranked as the 12th greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. Selling more than 4 million copies to date, Kind of Blue changed the shape of jazz through the buzz of Davis' trumpet and his focus on musical modes. The album's influence on popular music throughout the years cannot be overstated. Musicians including Quincy Jones, Duane Allman, Q-tip, and Pink Floyd have cited the jazz standards of Kind of Blue as a musical inspiration, and as a musician, I was also inspired by the stylistic melodies of Kind of Blue.

Mr. Speaker, as Kind of Blue continues to introduce listeners around the world to jazz music and the genius of Miles Davis, let us not forget the importance of jazz education and music appreciation.