Ambassador Tefft’s farewell appearance on popular radio show

August 19, 2009

Ambassador Tefft’s farewell appearance on popular radio show

Ambassador John Tefft was the featured guest of jazz DJ and scholar Zurab Karumidze on Radio Syndicate's live Jazz and Wine show on August 19.  The Ambassador's passion for jazz is well known and his memories of how this American musical idiom has been a bridge between cultures throughout his career was on evidence during the show.  As a farewell gift to committed jazz fans in Georgia, hebrought to the studio a new album of two icons of America's country and jazz music, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, "a dialogue of classic jazz and folk-rock", the Ambassador commented. The album, Two Men with the Blues, includes one of Hoagy Carmichael's most famous compositions, Georgia on My Mind.  After playing it on air, Ambassador Tefft noted how the song takes on a special meaning for him as he departs Georgia, the country (not the state).  He read the first stanza of the song's lyrics by Stuart Gorrell that are seldom sung, yet capture his feelings at the moment:

Melodies bring memories,
That linger in my heart.
Make me think of Georgia.
Why did we ever part?
Some sweet day, when blossoms fall
And all the world's a song I'll go back to Georgia,
‘Cause that's where I belong...