Sightings & Moments from the Day

Politico
Staff
December 15, 2009

Spotted at the Irish Embassy holiday party Tuesday night: Luke Russert spending some quality time with his mom, Maureen Orth.

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Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) was spotted giving Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly a tour around the Capitol Tuesday. The interesting twosome then lunched in the Members' Dining Room.

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If you're sick of all the cheesy holiday music already, you're in luck: One congressman is spending this December reflecting on one of jazz's most classic albums: Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue."

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has introduced a resolution "honoring the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album 'Kind of Blue' and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure."

Davis's 1959 masterpiece was his most successful and consistently ranks near the top of many "best album" lists.

"Kind of Blue forever changed the landscape of American music –popularizing jazz among a broad, international audience," said Conyers. "The album featured a new style, modal jazz that has since become the standard for all jazz music. Miles had been experimenting with modal jazz for some time before he recorded Kind of Blue, but this album proved to listeners that jazz musicians were doing more than just improvising notes; they were creating and experimenting with the cord changes that would resonate a new verve in American culture."

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In other Conyers news, check out the congressman sportin’ a tuxedo-esque jacket on the House floor Tuesday:

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Spotted: Afghanistan and Pakistan envoy Richard Holbrooke being interviewed at the Four Seasons Tuesday morning.