SOUNDS IN THE SPIRIT OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
We celebrate the work and life of Dr. King through the sounds of freedom, including two guests who have added their own voices to that choir. Sixties soul queen Fontella Bass used her gospel background and voice to make freedom statements of her own, such as her biggest hit “Rescue Me.” Scholar, critic and hepcat Albert Murray tells us how African-Americans have used blues and jazz as a springboard to a better place—and why Duke Ellington called him the “unsquarest person I know.” Plus music from John Coltrane, Johnny Cash, the Staples Singers and more.
Open Bed: Change is Gonna Come King Curtis The Best of King Curtis, Capitol
Freedom Train James Carr The Essential James Carr, Razor & Tie
Change It Kathleen Cleaver Black Power: Music of a Revolution, Shout!Factory
Freedom Train Honeyboy Edwards, Floyd Jones, Kansas City Red, Sunnyland Slim & Big Walter Horton Old Friends, Earwig
Gospel Train Wright Brothers Gospel Singers Negro Spirituals and Gospel Songs, Blues Encore
Song of the Underground Railroad The John Coltrane Quartet The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions, Impulse
Instrumental: Lift Every Voice and Sing Reginald R. Robinson Euphonic Sounds, Delmark
Why? (Am I Treated So Bad) The Staple Singers The Gospel Sound, Columbia/Legacy
Address To Civil Rights Marchers in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Great Speeches of the 20th Century, Rhino
I'm Free At Last Southern Sons Negro Spirituals and Gospel Songs Vol.2, Blues Encore
Get Your Rights, Jack CORE Freedom Singers Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966, Folkways
INTERVIEW: Fontella Bass
Instrumental: Redemption Song Monty Alexander w/ Special Guest Ernest Ranglin Rocksteady, Telarc
Cole, Cooke & Redding Wilson Pickett A Man and a Half, Rhino
A Change is Gonna Come Otis Redding Otis Blue, ATCO
Blowin' in the Wind Sam Cooke At the Copa, ABKCO
The Man in Black Johnny Cash The Man in Black, 1963-1969, Bear Family
Will the Circle Be Unbroken Jerry Lee Lewis Classic Jerry Lee Lewis, Bear Family
Open Bed: Happy Go Lucky Local Duke Ellington Blues Masters, Vol. 13: New York City Blues, Rhino
Ofay and Oxford Gray Louis Jordan The Hoy Hoy Collection: Rock Before Elvis, Stash
It Ain’t Necessarily So Mary Lou Williams Black Christ of the Andes, Folkways
Straighten Up and Fly Right Nat King Cole The Unforgettable, Capitol
Go Down Moses Ebony Three Negro Spirituals & Gospel Songs Vol.1, Blues Encore
Joshua Fit the Battle Elvis Presley His Hand in Mine, RCA
At The Cross Sonny Treadway Sacred Steel Traditional Sacred African-American Steel Guitar Music in Florida, Arhoolie
Jim Crow Blues Lead Belly Bourgeois Blues, Folkways
When a Black Man’s Blue Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Compete RCA/Victor Recordings 1927-1973, RCA
INTERVIEW: Albert Murray
Instrumental: We Shall Not Be Moved Just Cause Standards, Water Street Music
Uncle Sam Says Josh White Living in the House of Blues: Defiance Blues, HOB
Down by the Riverside Snooks Eaglin Country Boy In New Orleans, Arhoolie
War No More (AKA Down by the Riverside) The Maytals Presenting the Maytals: Never Grow Old, Heartbeat
Martin Luther King Indians of the Nation Indians of the Nation: United We Stand Divided We Fall, Indians of the Nation
Down by the Riverside Preservation Hall Jazz Band The Best of the Early Years, Preservation Hall
End Bed: Hymn to Freedom Oscar Peterson Night Train, Verve