On this episode of "By Any Means Necessary" host Eugene Puryear is joined by David Culp, Legislative Representative, Nuclear Disarmament, Friends Committee on National Legislation to discuss the most recent budget numbers from the Pentagon, as well as the Pentagon's strategy to undermine both Democrats and Republicans.
The show then turns to looking at the historical legacy and importance of jazz legend Louis Armstrong. Host Eugene Puryear is joined by Terry Teachout, drama critic at The Wall Street Journal, the critic-at-large at Commentary, and the writer of the Armstrong centered play “Satchmo at the Waldorf” and Ari Roth, Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater Company of DC. Mosaic Theater company is currently running Teachout’s “Satchmo at the Waldorf” a play featuring DC actor Craig Wallace in the one man, three character play. Wallace plays Armstrong, his embattled Jewish manager Joe Glaser, and his fiercest competitor and critic, trumpeter Miles Davis.
The legacy of Armstrong as a cultural leader as well as a controversial figure within the black community is discussed as well as the responsibility of the artists or cultural figures to have a political voice. The group also discusses the democratization of critique and the identity politics facing theater, movies and the arts writ large.
