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Five Jazz Classics and the Civil Rights Movement


civil rights march

Jazz musicians didn't cater to popular audiences. Instead, they focused solely on the music, creating a space where people were judged for their ability alone and not by race or other irrelevant factors. Since then, Jazz has been a symbol of the civil rights movement, with these five jazz classics at the forefront.


"Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday

Abel Meeropol, a teacher and civil rights activist, wrote the poem "Strange Fruit" after seeing a photo of the lynching of two African American men, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, in 1930. Singer Billie Holiday was jolted by the disturbing image, taking her back to a time when her father was refused hospital treatment because he was black, which contributed to his death.


Holiday sang "Strange Fruit" for the first time in 1939, which became the powerful closing of many of her concerts. The song was an anthem for those striving for equality but brought harassment to Holiday during and after performances. Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics Harry Anslinger ordered Holiday to stop singing the song, but she refused. She was later entrapped while buying heroin from one of Anslinger's operatives and spent a year and a half in prison. After her release in 1948, she could not renew her cabaret performer's license and couldn't perform in nightclubs. Instead, she sang several sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall, including one in March of 1948, where she once again sang "Strange Fruit."


Watch Billie Holiday's Live 1959 performance of "Strange Fruit" here: Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit.


"Alabama" by John Coltrane

On September 15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, was bombed, leaving four young African American girls dead. It was the climax of a string of events in the state, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's 1963 imprisonment and the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. 

John Coltrane was a reserved man who hesitated to make political statements but chose to speak out through his music. Coltrane's long-time pianist, McCoy Tyner, once said the rhythms of "Alabama," which was written after the bombing, were inspired by a speech given by Dr. King. While it's challenging to find the specific text, and Coltrane never confirmed he was writing about particular events, it was indisputable that his work impacted the movement with its haunting melody.


Listen to "Alabama" here: John Coltrane - Alabama. 


"Mississippi Goddam" by Nina Simone

In June of 1963, in Jackson, Mississippi, civil rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered at his home by a Ku Klux Klan member. The Alabama church bombing was only months later. The murders enraged singer Nina Simone resulted in writing "Mississippi Goddam," her first civil rights piece. Simone sings of litany and injustices, laments the country's state, and demands equality. You can feel her anger on a recording of her performance at Carnegie Hall in 1964 when she speaks to the audience mid-song, "Bet you thought I was kidding, didn't you?"


Listen to "Mississippi Goddam" here: Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam 1964


“Fables of Faubus” by Charles Mingus

Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus defied the Supreme Court's desegregation orders and called in the National Guard to prevent nine African American students from attending Little Rock Central High School in 1957. President Eisenhower stepped in and sent troops to escort the students to school. 


The incident in Little Rock inspired composer-bassist Charles Mingus to write 1959's "Fables of Faubus" for his album Mingus Ah Um. Mingus asked his drummer, Dannie Richmond, "Name me someone who's ridiculous, Dannie," to which Richmond shouted, "Governor Faubus!" Unfortunately, executives of Mingus's record label refused to let the lyrics be heard. This version of Mingus Ah Um is only instrumental, but the tune was re-recorded as "Original Faubus Fables" for another label and lives on in all its unfiltered defiance.


Listen to “Original Faubus Fables” here: Charles Mingus - Original Faubus Fables


We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Suite Now by Max Roach

Outspoken activist and composer-drummer Max Roach and singer-songwriter Oscar Brown Jr had been working on We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite as early as 1959 to perform it for the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1963. 


The album was released in 1960 featuring jazz artists, including vocalist Abbey Lincoln (and Roach's wife at the time), trumpeter Booker Little, trombonist Julian Priester, and saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. Its opening, "Driva' Man," startles audiences with the violence of the slave master's whip, depicted by Roach's biting drum rimshots. Lincoln's breathless vocals evoke wonder and disbelief of the emancipation in "Freedom Day." 


Listen to the whole album here: We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Suite Now.

Dr. King once said, "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." Jazz speaks about painful emotions and issues unfiltered, and that's why Jazz is a powerful and beautiful part of history.


If you're looking for powerful Jazz from modern-day artists, Maxan Jazz Club in Las Vegas provides live performances by talented musicians worldwide! Call to book a reservation today!

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