The Music of James Ingram: Always You

Track List:

1. "Someone Like You"
2. "Let Me Love You This Way"
3. "Always You"
4. "Treat Her Right"
5. "A Baby's Born"
6. "This is the Night"
7. "You Never Know What You Got"
8. "Too Much for this Heart"
9. "Sing for the Children"
10. "Any Kind of Love"

I knew I would eventually get the nerve to review this very formative record. I didn't expect that Mr. Ingram would've passed as abruptly as he did, but thankfully the spirit of his music and the influence he cast over us all remains in our lives.

"Always You" is an album I encountered because my Dad would play it in the car's stereo as he drove us - my twin brother and I - to (primary) school. My introduction to Mr. Ingram's music actually came through my two eldest siblings. I remember my brother playing "Call on Me" a few times in the house from his "It's Real" album (1989 release). I can also recall my sister playing Quincy Jones' "Secret Garden", which also coincidentally came out in 1989. I must admit, when I was a youngster the "Sweet Seduction Suite" didn't mean much to me; however, when I grew up a bit and learned to appreciate grown folks' music, then I finally started to appreciate the massive collaboration that made the Secret Garden such a success.

Anyways, back to circa '93. The only single released off this album was track number 1, "Someone Like You". I recall being surprised to hear it blaring in a big chain supermarket down in Kisii during my internship (2014). I remember thinking to myself that something was right with the world if such a song was getting airplay. The song is classic James in its melody and structure; in it we find him crooning about yearning to possess the object of his affection.

It really is a shame that more of the album isn't more well known because it really is a total package. The songs are mostly ballads (7 out of 10), but then he slipped in 3 songs that are anthemic, odes to specific aspects of humanity ("A Baby's Born", "Sing for the Children", and "Any Kind of Love").

Things slow down a bit on Track 2 - "Let Me Love You This Way"; this fittingly feels like a sequel to "Someone Like You". Here he's a man in love who's trying to figure out how to express his love to his significant other. He dabbles with the idea of promising and achieving impossible or improbable things, but in the end he resolves that the simplistic act of being "by her side always" is what counts the most.

(The series of songs from Track 3 - 6 are what I consider the simply unskippable portion of the album)

"Always You" takes us on a different kind of musical journey - that of heartbreak. He calls back to yesterday, a time filled with shared dreams and nascent love; he contrasts that with the stark reality of today where he clings to the memory of his "love" despite things having come to an end. He still holds out hope that things can work out for the better and that he'd have a chance to reunite with his true love. This is a really melancholic song, and the chimes always makes it feel like he's reminiscing about this during the holiday season. Backed most prominently by an organ, he lays out his heart and longing in perhaps his most emotional song on this album. 


"Treat Her Right" finds him admonishing a 'brother' who is unable to appreciate a wonderful lady in his life. He extols all her virtue in detail, and contrasts it with the little that she needs from her man. Feels like he took it to church with this track.  

"A Baby's Born" is an ode to life. In it, he reflects on time, the changing of the seasons, life drifting forward, getting old and having old friends pass away; at the end of it all, this is contrasted with the gift that yet another baby will be born. This song really only consists of one poignant verse presented against operatic instrumentation. The latter part of the song is a real feast as we have James sound off his falsetto vocalization in turn with the chords of a guitarist's solo. Truly a feast.
*I hadn't known that this was a cover song until just recently. It was originally performed by Johnny Mathis in 1973. The  original instrumentation sounds quite "Bacharach-ian" with a hint of motown (perhaps more Bacharach inspired than Ingram's version). This version puts a new spin on things, but both versions are quite enjoyable.

"This is The Night" has always been my favourite song on the album. I literally didn't know that (the great) Burt Bacharach had a hand in crafting this gem until I checked the album's wiki page, and confirmed it in the liner notes. This ballad describes a man's transition from a forlorn soul to an actualized individual once he finds the love of his life. In my mind I always pictured this as the perfect wedding song (right up there with Patti Labelle's "If Only You Knew", Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" and Julie Fowlis' "Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird a' Chuan"). The tape version I initially heard, unfortunately, lacked the keyboard and strings intro, instead starting straight off with the harmonized humming, but I'm glad I got it on the CD version. The intro consists of two identical runs of booming organ notes that initially seem to hint at nothing in particular, then the strings join in to lay out the rhythm that characterizes the start of each verse; then that magical humming comes in and is accompanied by an aggressive electrical guitar riff. Set against a deep pulsing bass line, he proceeds to lay down 5:05 of perfection.   

"You Never Know What You Got" turns the spotlight on the lady (in the relationship) for a change. It reflects on the ups-and-downs of a relationship, with him emphasizing that she stay in the relationship lest she be left all alone sitting by the phone. Despite his already self-appreciated limitations, he promises to do the best he can by her; the flipside is for her to abandon the relationship, and risk not having something to return to.

"Too Much for this Heart". After the heartbreak comes the chance for yet another attempt at love. This song, however, addresses the doubt that someone feels at putting themselves out there again for a chance to find love. The trepidation is on full display here.

"Sing for the Children". Of the two Bacharach contributions, this is the more classic Bacharach outing - the orchestration at the start of the song is evidence of that (the horn arrangement). This ode to children calls for the preservation of their innocence, for their need to feel love. In the second verse, he focuses on the memory of his deceased father, a balancing influence that still gives his life purpose; this is the kind of influence he wants for all children, which would be a saving grace for both their dreams and humanity in general.

"Any Kind of Love" is is an ode to good old fashioned humanity, which plays out like a blast from the past. James and his crew are literally jamming for the whole first minute in a 6:55 song. It's not until we get to the 1:28 mark that he finally starts to lay down some vocals. The song is a heartfelt call for us to share some love for the sake of our fellow men. The breakdown at the end is more jamming magic clocking in at another minute.

I remember picking up my own CD copy of this album at a discount store in Capitola, CA, and it really is one that I treasure. Good wholesome music that's beautifully crafted and has aged very well. I've always been impressed by his signature hallmark - "Ingram howl" - that he belts out so effortlessly, and as always it'll appear on a couple of these songs. If you do have a chance to listen to this album (I believe all songs are available on Youtube), by all means do it. It is wonderful. 


Rest in Peace Mr. Ingram.

God Bless.

The Things That Medical School Won't Teach You (11): "Communicating properly"

I'm recalling that in the course of this series, I've intimated that one of my justifications for getting into the business was my interaction with medical personnel during periods when I was sickly. Now, some of those interactions were uplifting, encouraging, even edifying; on other occasions, the interactions were simply dastardly. Medicine is indeed one of those fields where the old saying holds true: "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel". Every little thing you're doing, whether verbal or non-verbal, communicates something important to the patient.

My mind drifts off to the memory of "Communication 104" during Fall Semester 2002 (Messiah College). My biggest take home from that whole class was something that was taught very early on: while communicating, our responses can be broken down into 3 broad categories - Agreeing, Disagreeing, and Disconfirming. The first two are very obvious and I'm pretty sure everyone has a semblance of what they entail; whether we relate to what's being said, there is the underlying impression that we've at least recognized what the other person has put forward. Discomfirming is in a class of its own: not only are you obviously opposed to what's been put forward by your colleague, but you make it clear that you've disregarded it entirely. In other words, it is basically a "coup de grâce", a death blow.

From that little definition, let's dive into another little memory from my time at Messiah College.

I believe it was Thanksgiving 2004. My Zambian friend had been kind enough to invite a few of us from Rafiki House to go over to his host family's place for Thanksgiving Dinner. I remember it was a great meal; I especially remember developing an appreciation for pumpkin spice pie after that day (despite having disliked the taste of pumpkin up until then).

Unfortunately, the whole dinner didn't go down without incident. I remember that they had also invited over a (seemingly) 70 year old lady who had been a missionary in Sudan for a very very long time. Sometime in the middle of the dinner, she had the bright idea to chime in that she felt that the traditional systems had faded away in Africa, and thus she felt that the younger ones were lost with no one to impart the important lessons to them.

I remember being the most vocal of my friends (many of whom were predominantly African) in trying to convince this lady courteously that the picture was not that bleak. I reminded her that though traditionally my people were renowned fishermen, there is no disconnect despite the fact that we do not follow in the path of my ancestors; because between my parents, siblings and wider family, I can still get a good education on what's important in life. HOWEVER, it didn't sway her in the least, and she doubled down on her morose ideas. It's always a difficult task relating to people who are set in their ways. Here was a lady who had lived in a land steeped in civil war for decades projecting her bleak outlook on a whole continent without having ventured elsewhere within the continent. Worse still is the fact that she was old; everyone deserves a modicum of respect, especially the older generation; that being said, no one gets a blank cheque for their thoughts and tangents.

I remember casting glances at my friends during the conversation and getting two distinct vibes from them: "Richard...calm down...just let it go."

Being disconfirmed hurts no matter how old you are. It is the grand old equivalent of being patronized. It doesn't matter whether it comes from a friend, parent, sibling or colleague...it will sting deeply. Don't get me wrong: it can sometimes serve as a useful teaching tool. I am not a parent yet, but every parent definitely has a story where they've had to put a disrespectful child in their place. Those are definitely the times that children need to be humbled. There is nothing to be gained from negotiating. It is at times useful for people to be reminded who pays the bills that keep the house running, and that afford them the luxury that they experience every day. However, disconfirming should not be your primary tool of instruction. It wouldn't make a very good "coup de grâce" if you employed it willy-nilly, would it now?

Now, when I first got to Kenya after finishing med school in China, I was as "green" as they come. I hadn't really had any real employment experience, and I knew that there was probably a lot I'd have to get used to about practising medicine in a different context. It was rather convenient for me that they made me go through a 3-month pre-internship at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Surgery was my first rotation, which seemed like a great starting point because Surgery has always been my passion. The experience, on the other hand, turned out to be a mixed bag. I think that it was great to be around doctors of varying levels (Professors, Consultants, Registrars, Interns and students) as well as other cadres like nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists, etc; however, what whittled things down a tad was the interaction with the consultants. I could understand that they were intelligent within their respective fields of specialization, but that didn't mean that they had to be so antagonistic. I especially felt sorry for the registrars; despite being my seniors, it wasn't surprising for me to encounter one of them being chewed out for no reason whatsoever by the consultants; if they were particularly unlucky, they'd be blasted in front of all the cadres of workers present during a ward round.

I remember experiencing something similar during my internship. It was particularly surprising when I would encounter it from the medical officers who oversaw us as interns. It's easier for me to sympathize with consultants who've been far removed from the experiences of their underlings for such a long time; but I could not understand how a medical officer - who was probably just an intern a few months prior - could be so quick to dish out the type of demeaning treatment that they had previously suffered to a whole new generation of interns. It bugged me to my core that someone would choose to incorporate such poor teaching methods, but then "that's the breaks".

I'm not trying to say that ALL Kenyan doctors are deficient in the communication department, but a lot of the ones I've encountered sadly fall into that bracket. I have encountered very many great teachers in this field, but the bad ones leave a particularly bad aftertaste. This is very different from what I'd experienced in China where we were free to mingle with all levels of doctors from Professors down to our own colleagues. Not knowing medical facts was not seen as a time to disgrace a student in front of his peers, but rather as a teachable moment in which to impart knowledge to the student. Sometimes, as an added bonus, the professor might provide you with the "cheats" that make him remember specific pertinent facts in a few seconds. Compassion goes much further in teaching than browbeating someone to a pulp. By the time I'd finished my KNH pre-internship, I felt pretty sure that I was not going to be pursuing post-graduate studies within Kenya. After slogging through a tumultous internship, it is now my conviction! I mean, an internship may seem long and tedious, but they can only stretch one year so long...and eventually it ends. I cannot fathom what 3 - 5 years of a registrar postgraduate experience must feel like given the same circumstances, but it is definitely something I would not look forward to.

Like I've already mentioned earlier, all these forms of communication are important in conveying ideas and truths. In light of how I've focused so negatively on disconfirming, you might think that I am totally against it...and that would be totally far from the truth. I remember at one point having to disconfirm a vast swathe of the members of my class at medical school. And that memory goes a little like this:

A surgeon had walked into our class to teach us about "The Liver". I couldn't tell you how much of the class was acting up, however, they were creating such a sizeable ruckus such that it was impossible to ignore them. It really was an untenable situation because the surgeon was having a hard time teaching, and the students who were actually trying to listen we're having the hardest of times hearing what was being taught.

My mind flashed back to the previous weekend. I had attended an international surgical conference at a symposium hall within the Medical Healthcare Centre at the First Affiliated Hospital (of Wenzhou Medical University) in the city. I remember 2 highlights from that experience - watching a livestreamed session of bariatric surgery which was taking place within one of the First Affiliated Hospital theaters; the second was a lecture on Selective decongestive devascularization shunt of gastrosplenic region (SDDS-GSR ), which is an adjunct measure to relieving liver and spleen issues arising from chronic liver disease. You could tell that people's minds were blown by this novel approach and people were eager for highly decorated Prof. Qiyu Zhang to explain it in detail.

A few days later, standing in front of my class and attempting to deliver a lecture to a bunch of unruly international students is none other than Prof. Qiyu Zhang. I was livid! A few days earlier, medical professionals from a host of countries had patiently waited to listen to this man, but today so-called doctors-in-training couldn't even bother to give him the time of day.

I walked up to the front of the classroom and pleaded with Prof. Zhang for a chance to talk to my colleagues. Taking the mic from his hands, I proceeded to lay into them for all the embarrassment that they had caused us. I contrasted their behaviour with that of the specialist audience a few days prior, and reminded them that within their respective countries they would never tolerate such belligerence from their juniors; the message was clear - sit down, keep quiet and act right!

I am glad to say that the class quieted down, and we had a problem-free lecture (at least for that day!).

I feel sad that my school really didn't bother relaying information about certain things to the international students...things that were very obvious to the Chinese students. I for one think that it would have been important for us to have known that Prof. Zhang was formerly THE PRESIDENT of the First Affiliated Hospital. Years earlier, this man had joined me at my table as I ate a meal alone in the hospital cafeteria, and I never found out that he had been a pillar of the hospital until much later!

If I had been in his position, and I was in a vengeful mood, I would have made things seriously difficult for the international students in my year. Only one year later we were slated to get placements for internships within the Wenzhou Medical University's affiliated hospitals, and he had the power to make that very difficult for us. Just have to thank God that he let things slide.

I know I focus on the medical aspect of things a lot, but the message here serves everyone: it is important to invest yourself in learning to communicate properly. Since medicine is such a hallowed profession, people usually make excuses for specialists who are poor teachers because of their clinical acumen. (they do that for pretty much any specialist in any field). You shouldn't make the same mistake. Acknowledge that people are differently gifted and aid them in their pursuit of personal betterment. Use all tools available at your disposal (including disconfirming), but reach out for compassion faster than anything else. The world will thank you for it.

God Bless
 

The Music of Ed Johnson: Movimento

This takes me back to my days at Messiah College, and the joys of Yahoo! Launchcast which may sadly no longer exist. I think this might particularly have been around those summers when I worked the night shift as a custodial assistant. After work got done, I usually walked over to one of our computer labs and spent a lot of my time listening to Launchcast. My musical list must have been quite eclectic because every so often a non-English track would come up - typically Spanish or Portuguese - and I got to indulge my taste buds in something different. (Must've been some variations on the Jazz preference I had chosen).

Anyway, one day I get this impressive Portuguese track that just resonates with my soul. Pretty guitar playing, wonderful percussion, all set to this fast paced tempo. At first glance of the artist, I'd have thought he was some ordinary Brazilian/Portuguese artist; it was only later that I came to find out that he was American (based out of Palo Alto, California), and that Portuguese is not his native tongue. This shouldn't be so strange, though, considering that bands have a flair for touring through multiple locations and picking influences as they go. I recall that the Pat Metheny Group - Pat himself receives a shout-out in the liner notes for this album - did an extensive tour of Brazil and a lot of that influence is palpable in a lot of his early works, especially Minuano (Six Eight).

Off the strength of the title track, I ended up buying the whole album, and later on 2 more albums from his back catalog. Time and time again, though, I find myself gravitating towards this album in particular. It really has something for every mood: Jazzy samba, ballads, dirges and even purely instrumental tracks. The track "Movimento" typifies something great about a lot of the songs on this album; they all have this "spark" that may occur at some moment in the song, and once you get to it, you just know you love the song.

1. In Movimento, this occurs one minute in, when you hear him belt out "...El Mundo a rodar..." for the first time; it lets you know that Ed Johnson is a professional at what he's doing, and he has the "pipes"to prove it. 
2. In "Exceto Nõs", the intro horn section lets me know I have a winner. 
3. In "Scotch Baião", a track where the soloing is shared between his guitar and a horn player, the horn section at 2:35 is the most beautiful portion of the whole song.
4. "O Bom Alvinho": I had initially tended to avoid this track, but when I gave it a listen, the portion where he engages in "scat-singing" (and especially its finale) keeps me enthralled for the whole tune.
5. "For T": beautiful instrumental track with occasional humming. The harmonized humming that closes out the track is the highlight of the song.
6.  "Silent Heart": haunting melody with a beautiful muted horn used to great effect; the only track sang in English. Here again, the harmonized humming that brings the track to a close caps off a great performance, and bookends a wonderful album. 

Sadly, the only track out of the ten that I've been unable to fall in love with is "Tara". This is by far the most straight ahead Jazz track on the recording. I just can't seem to resonate with the track.

All in all, it's still a solid effort. 4 instrumental tracks (Scotch Baião, Light's Return, For T and Tara), 2 Ballads (Exceto Nõs, Silent Heart), 2 cover songs (O Bom Alvinho, A felicidade), a requiem (Remembrance) and the wonderful title track.

The album is infinitely enjoyable and is something that you'll definitely play a couple of times. (my CD might currently be worse for wear). Grade A performance from a master craftsman. Definitely give it a listen if you have a chance.


God Bless

Let The Dead Bury The Dead!

*I have lacked the ability to write this article for most of the past month. However, I now find myself overtaken by the state of events in the country - just recently we lost Governor Joyce Laboso to cancer; she was preceded by MP Ken Okoth just a few days prior. I wish their families and those affected by their deaths my full condolences and God's comfort in their lives.

To start with, I'd have to clarify my title: this is Matthew 8:22, Jesus at probably one of his more provocative moments. The Lord was certainly blunt and went straight to the point, but the context of the conversation is sometimes difficult to understand; a remnant of some cultural practices that we may not experience in this day and age. A priest once clarified it for me: when the young man slated to be a disciple (Matthew 8:21) asked to be allowed to go and bury his father, it is never implied that his father is actually dead; rather, he wants to return home to live out however long his father has left on this earth, and then after his (father's) eventual death turn towards serving the Lord. Jesus was very categorical that God's kingdom and all things entailed within it would not play second fiddle to the temporal fleeting activities of this world.

This verse has resonated with me lately because our politicians (Members of Parliament to be exact) are at it again! I have really tried to avoid watching the evening news since the latter part of 2017 when everything really all focused on the elections. Even after the disastrous election, and its re-run, election euphoria never really went way; and, sadly, even now politicians have already revamped themselves in campaigning for the distant 2022 election as if nothing else matter in between. The news cycle is just a rehash of campaigning, scandals and intrigues that are mind-numbingly tiring to listen to or tolerate at this point.

Lately, however, as if on cue, our parliamentarians have started clamouring for an increase of their allowances.The stunner was a sh. 250,000 house allowance (backdated to late last year), but there was more: there are plans in place to increase their car grants, sitting allowances, and perhaps a potential "night allowance" for when their seating extends into the night time past the normal hours of business. I personally have never understood why people who are some of the best-salaried in the world are paid "sitting allowances" to show up at their places of work: Sh. 5,000 and at times double if you sit on certain committees. That is a level of ridiculousness that needs a different time and place to answer.

As usual, the MPs have come out in force to address the usual uproar that arises with such blatant greed; and of course the usual arguments will be made, but one specific argument has consistently been touted: the need to cater for funerals for their constituents. On the rare occasion that I recently watched the evening news, I saw 2 MPs talk about how they are invited to so many funerals, and the mourners expect them to donate money towards funding funeral logistics like transport, food, etc. I was boiling inside, but the kicker came when one randomly separately interviewed constituent remarked that the MPs  deserved to have their emoluments increased simply because they provide money at funerals.

Kenya certainly has a strange relationship with death and funerals, which certainly makes us worthy of the descriptor "Peculiar". People may be reviled or neglected during the time that they are alive, but suddenly upon their deaths they become saints whose influence on our life cannot be overstated, and suddenly we realize that they will leave big gaps that cannot be filled.

1. I remember one patient who (during the course of my internship) sat in our female ward neglected for many weeks. Till today I don't understand why she was in a Gynaecology Ward because her symptoms seemed to suggest that she had a Liver/Bile Duct malignancy. In any case, I don't remember seeing any relatives visit, and there was no way to progress with her testing because that needed a lot of external tests, and expensive in-house tests that required cash upfront. Eventually, she succumbed to her illness; strangely, the very next day the family arrived wailing, cleared her hospital bill in one fell swoop, and took her "home".
   
2. I recall some events concerning the planning of my paternal grandfather's funeral. My mother had gone out into the town (Katito) to hire some chairs for the occasion. Some random young gentleman with political ambitions decided that he'd pay for the chairs so that he could have the chance to address the mourners; this didn't sit well with my mother who firmly turned him down and paid for the chairs out-of-pocket (as she had always intended).
   
   I remember that he still had the gall to show up at the funeral, and took to the podium to address the mourners. Since I do not understand my mother-tongue, everything he said basically went over my head; but disrespect is a cultural universal that anyone can understand, and to this day I still get angry thinking about that foolish man.
3.  Early this past July, there was furor raised by a bunch of politicians at the funeral of Pastor Shem Ngoko of the SDA Church; this was merely because they were not allowed to address the mourners during the ceremony. Even despite the express orders of the church, the politicians sought to insinuate themselves into the church proceedings where they would undoubtedly have uttered useless political rubbish.

Our politicians display a plethora of similar experiences to these mentioned above. Their main goal, however, is their need to get a cheap and readily available audience for them to practice their "snake-oil salesman" act. Some of the most ludicrous statements in the recent past have mostly been uttered at funerals. I don't know when we embraced the idea that it is acceptable to turn funerals into political rallies. The day is chiefly meant for family and those close to the deceased person to give them a dignified "send-off". The immediate family of the departed individual is accepted to be the party that requires the condoling and whose needs are prime.

Additionally, neither do I know when we started turning funerals into opulent occasions. Why would anyone feel the need to "keep up with the Joneses." There is not a hint of added dignity in the act of burying someone in a bulletproof gold casket, in the slaughter of a herd of cattle, or in the printing of t-shirts and keepsakes containing the deceased's image. We all acknowledge that we came from dust and to the dust we shall return, therefore we just need to do enough to honour one that has passed on; this should, however, never involve driving their kinfolk to lengths of desperation that will see them spending vast sums of money on something as transient as a funeral.

There are 2 simple lessons on offer here:

1. Politicians need to aim higher and stop lusting after "low-hanging" fruit. Why seek to endear yourselves to crowds of mourners at a funeral yet watch as children under your sphere of influence learn under trees, hospitals remain dilapidated and people continue to suffer from joblessness and hopelessness. If they lack the willpower to say "no", take a few lessons on how to say no nicely. 
2. People need to learn to live within their means, and this is especially relevant the less you have. The begging bowl mentality we espouse at the top in needlessly borrowing money to fund everything under the sun has worked its way down to the bottom. We as a people need to be disciplined and stop selling our civic rights to individuals for a pittance. Perhaps if we held our leaders to a higher standard at the grassroots level, they would be forced to prove themselves at the country and international level.

So to bring things full circle, Let the Dead bury the Dead! We need our politicians committed to the task of improving the general livelihood of all Kenyans, and preparing us to deal with the challenges posed by the 21st Century. Let them desist from this foolishness of lame excuses and utter greed, and let them do the task for which they were chosen. History will deal with them unkindly if they choose anything else.

God Bless