Remembering Colonel Tom

It’s hard to believe that James T. “Colonel Tom” Morgan, longtime volunteer jazz host on WKMS, passed away last Thursday on his 71st Birthday. He had been hospitalized for a couple of weeks struggling with the effects of emphysema.

A U.S. Army veteran, Col.Tom grew up in Steele, Missouri, the son of a mule trader, James Blaine “PG” Morgan and Roberta Cahoon Morgan. He led a fascinating life as a jazz performer, trucking company billing agent, and business developer, among other things.

He is survived by his son, Blaine Morgan and his wife Jodie of Peachtree City, GA; two daughters, Dana Gaither and Joanette Moseley, both of Collierville, TN; and seven
grandchildren.

Col. Tom told his son that he wished to be cremated and to have his ashes scattered into the Mississippi River, along with his pocket knife. Then, according to Blaine, Col. Tom directed that his son take his two oldest male friends in Memphis out to dinner for a night of laughter and memories. Finally, Col. Tom requested that a plaque bearing his name and life dates be placed on the grave of his father in Missouri.

This Wednesday on Cafe Jazz (9 to 11 p.m.) we'll rebroadcast Col. Tom’s special program featuring his 7 favorite female jazz vocalists. They are, in alphabetical order: Karrin Allyson, June Christy, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughan. Blaine Morgan requested that WKMS accept Col. Tom’s wonderful collection of jazz CD’s so that his service to our jazz audience may continue.

Current WKMS staff who worked most closely with Col. Tom, George Eldred and Tracy Ross, are organizing a program in memory of Col. Tom to be aired later this year. George and Tracy would like to hear from any of you who would like to add your voice to this program. You can e-mail wkms@murraystate.edu if you would like to do this. We will give you advance notice of when the program will be featured. A friend of Col. Tom’s has established a website memorial at Tom-morgan.memory-of.com, which will also allow the family to learn more about Col. Tom’s cadre of admirers.

Kate,

You probably already know this and have already heard it, but it is worth repeating. Thank you to WKMS and the excellent reporting from NPR last week on the Virginia Tech incident. I found that I was constantly tuning to it rather than TV because there was such bias in the reporting. Having experienced a campus tragedy on this campus, it is so easy for folks to jump to conclusions and look to blame others. I was so pleased with what NPR was reporting; they were the first to inform the public about the challenges in handling adult mentally ill students on college campuses. Once again NPR came through; thank goodness we have it!

Paula Hulick
Special Assistant to the VP for Student Affairs, Murray State University

Thanks for the feedback Paula! WKMS welcomes listener comments and suggestions year-round. We're listening! Anything you'd like to share? If so, click here, or visit our blog site Feedback.

WKMS Staff Changes…
Maintaining Excellence

Radio Lab RETURNS to WKMS!

Radio Lab is an experiential investigation that explores themes and ideas through a patchwork of people, sounds, and stories. Produced by WNYC and hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, Radio Lab is designed for listeners who demand skepticism but appreciate wonder; who are curious about the world, but also want to be moved and surprised! In each episode, Radio Lab experiments with sound and style allowing science to fuse with culture and information to sound like music.

Several WKMS listeners expressed admiration for the Radiolab series, and as such, we're proud to broadcast previoulsy-aired episodes on Fridays at noon in May, and new episodes on Fridays at noon in June!

Musical Language -- Friday, May 4 at Noon
What is music?   How does it work?  Why does it move us? 

Morality -- Friday, May 11 at Noon
Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? 

Where Am I? -- Friday, May 18 at Noon
Mind and body are in constant communication, but sometimes the link breaks. 

Space -- Friday, May 25 at Noon
Space exploration from the obsession of the 60's to the cynicism of today.

Placebo -- Friday, June 1 at Noon
Could the best medicine be no medicine at all?
 
Sleep -- Friday, June 8 at Noon
Why do animals sleep? What is it for?
 
Zoos -- Friday, June 15 at Noon
Radiolab explores humans' need to get close to the wild.
 
Deception -- Friday, June 22 at Noon
How is a lie different from the truth? Are lies inevitable?

When Will I Die? -- Friday, June 29 at Noon
Is death a fact of life or a disease that can be cured?

You can view the entire WKMS programming schedule at wkms.org.

WKMS presents The MTT Files, an eight part series, Mondays at 11 a.m. (pre-empting Commonwealth Classics), starting May 7 and continuing through June 25.

This series is the radio outreach of the San Francisco Symphony's major multi-media educational project Keeping Score, which you can read more about online. Hosted by Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) and produced by American Public Media and the San Francisco Symphony, this series features MTT, who has been Music Director of the Symphony since 1995, reminiscing with (and about) some of the legendary artists he's known throughout his career. MTT is joined by singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega.

Programs include:

You Call That Music? -- Monday, May 7 at 11 a.m.
How individuals perceive sound.

What Does America Sound Like? -- Monday, May 14 at 11 a.m.
How Aaron Copland created a sound.

What Does America Sound Like? -- Monday, May 21 at 11 a.m.
Copland's Musical Transformation.

Igor Stravinsky's Copyright Blues -- Monday, May 28 at 11 a.m.

The Last Virtuoso -- Monday, June 4 at 11 a.m.
Why was violinist Jascha Heifetz so great?

Freud and the Ballet -- Monday, June 11 at 11 a.m.
Looking from Giselle to Lulu.

We Were Playing Boulez, But We Were Listening to Monday, James Brown -- Monday, June 18 at 11 a.m.
How MTT's approach to music changed after hearing James Brown on the radio.

Five Degrees of Separation -- Monday, June 25 at 11 a.m.
MTT reflects on his own mentors.

You can view the entire WKMS programming schedule at wkms.org.

Click here for more information on regional events

Anything less than a conscious committment to the important is an unconscious committment to the unimportant.

Steven Covey, American Author (1932 - )