
Image by: Ian Desousa
Al interviewing at the Midnight Mass
Bold New City
Series: State of the Re:Union
From: Al Letson
Length: 00:58:59
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Piece Description
Unlike previous State of the Re:Union episodes, our Jacksonville show uses three major stories to confront the difficult issue of race in the South. Through the perspectives and experiences of the area's residents we look to answer the question, "Is Jacksonville the bold new city of the South?"
Additional Credits
Funded by CPB


Stephen L. Gilbreath
Posted on September 15, 2009 at 03:43 PM | Permalink
Motivating Revelation About Operation New Hope!
Personally, I liked being able to learn some ''inside things'' about the program's host, and I'll use that to overlook the fact that a show usually comes across best when the host puts the focus on the subject more than himself. Again, in this case, with Jacksonville being the hometown of the host, the host's in part self-focus helped me to get to know the heartbeat of the host just a little better.
The greatest revelation in this program was an outstanding one. I enjoyed learning about the revolutionary and successful Operation New Hope out of Jacksonville, Florida. I liked this especially since I personally have some involvement with prison ministries and to learn of a remarkable program that helps a former prisoner once he's out of prison to be helped to be able to secure and function well in a good job is more than a little commendable. What a great program!
What I hoped to hear and found missing in this program was something related to bassist Alfred Wesley ''Al'' Hall who was born in Jacksonville, Florida, almost a century ago -- in 1915. Among his achievements was not only being the first black to play in an orchestra on Broadway, but more importantly Al Hall founded the Wax Records label in 1946 and just three years later sold it to the big Atlantic Records for some big bucks in 1949. In recordings, besides leads on his own label, Al Hall led four numbers on Columbia Records Europe in 1959. He played with Benny Goodman in 1966 and then later after 1970 with the incredible Doc Cheatham. And, that's just the tip of the iceberg on the success of Jacksonville born Al Hall (sadly missing from this episode.) Al Hall -- legendary musician and musical entrepreneur -- who hails from Jacksonville.
Still, this piece on Jacksonville is informative and the country can benefit and learn something about the city that annexed almost the whole county of Duval into its ''city limits'' making it, since 1968, the largest city in America. Jacksonville may or may not be the ''Bold New City of the South'' (and in the show one interviewee would say it is while another would say it is not) but one thing for certain. Jacksonville is certainly the ''BIG City of the South.''
Did this episode fulfill the series' overall goals of how this area creates a community, of capturing the challenges and the culture that make it both unique and in unison with the national values and goals of our founding fathers, what about the cornerstone or resonating fragments of the community, and were the music, sounds and styles that the area gave birth to present in this episode? I provided the answers to some of those goal questions for you above, but for the rest, it will be worth your time in my opinion to listen and answer those for yourself.
The episode is missing a few things -- but still, it'll get a big five from yours truly! The program's public will I'm sure be looking for more in the future.