MLK Day, Jazz Vinyl Reviews, and Good Reads
Instagram Recaps, Phantom Artist Streams, and Expensive Stereos
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sincerely appreciated jazz and blues as art forms and vehicles for messaging—protest music came in many forms and didn’t always require lyrics. At the same time, artists incorporated support for Dr. King and other civil rights leaders, along with social/political messaging in music, album/song titles, and artwork—some obvious, some more cleverly hidden. Here is Dr. King’s address to the ‘64 Berlin Jazz Festival and a few favorite examples of jazz tracks in tribute to Dr. King and his messages—while there’s been progress in the civil rights struggles, we’re a long way from the dream described by Dr. King.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Opening Address to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival:
God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.
Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.
This is triumphant music.
Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.
It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.
Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.
And now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in the particular struggle of the Negro in America there is something akin to the universal struggle of modern man. Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy. Everybody longs for faith.
In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these.
Instagram Recaps
Cooler than the other side of the pillow. Pianist/composer Sonny Clark was also a master strategist and alchemist leading the session that produced Cool Struttin’. He knew bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones were the ideal duo to pair with the similarly experienced duo of trumpeter Art Farmer and alto sax ace Jackie McLean. Shared experiences in the studio, stage, and other groups—Chambers/Jones with Miles Davis and Farmer/McLean with Gene Ammons—meant there was little need for icebreakers or “Hello…my name is:” introductions—the four lengthy tracks swing relentlessly with style, soul, and sophistication. Farmer’s refined tone and McLean’s fiery urgency invoke a perfectly realized brew of blues ‘n bop, with a rhythm section fully integrated as if playing with a hive mind—Chambers and Jones know precisely when to hang back and when to step on the gas. I’m obsessed with the album cover photo—one of my all-time favorites. Based on the direction in which the man and the woman (Ruth Lion, wife of Blue Note exec Alfred) are walking, it seems inevitable that they’ll meet off-frame. Or will they? The automobile on the opposite side of the street in the background appears to be leaving. Where to? Or is the driver parking? Is there a connection to the man? The woman? Both? Is this the beginning of a spy tale? Is a kidnapping about to occur? Or are they all strangers? Somebody call the Black Mirror writers—I’m convinced there’s something mysterious and possibly nefarious afoot here. While there may be more questions than answers—and my overactive imagination is legendary—one thing is for sure: you *NEED* this record in your life!
Since hearing that Blue Note Review is back in action for 2024, I’ve got Lee Morgan on the brain. Morgan is an inspired pick for Vol 3–between shelved sessions, out-of-print titles, classic LPs, and sides that saw prior release via Music Matters; there’s a lot of excellent music to consider pairing with one of the most compelling but tragic stories in jazz. I’m eager to see and hear it all come to life. This quartet date is unique—he never made another.