HB's Money Talk Radio Show Music

[Tortoise]

In the 10/31/2004 episode of his "Money Talk" radio show, Harry Browne gave a short explanation of his radio show's bumper music style of Dixieland jazz.

He explained that Dixieland, which is different from modern jazz (a style he did not like), is a type of jazz in which several different musicians playing different instruments simultaneously improvise while they continue to move the song forward with a definite melody.

I was surprised that HB did not point out the obvious connection between Dixieland jazz and the Permanent Portfolio concept. In a Dixieland band, the several band members improvise independently yet produce a coherent melody. In the PP, the asset classes perform independently in response to different economic environments yet produce a stable, positive long-term return for the portfolio as a whole.

I found it amusing that HB chose (perhaps unintentionally) a style of music for his radio show that conceptually mirrors the PP style of investing. It's yet another example of the man's remarkable consistency.

[smurff]

Great observation.

[Lone Wolf]

Great stuff, Tortoise!

I was also struck by the fact that order and very, very good music sprang from what sounds like chaos.  A great analogy for the Permanent Portfolio (and the free market in general.)