Apr 15, 2022
It seems that most of the world’s religions have spring holidays. In fact, celebrating the beginning of spring may be among the oldest seasonal holidays in human culture. The earliest reference we have to such a holiday comes to us from Babylon, 2400 BCE. The city of Ur apparently had a celebration dedicated to the moon and the spring equinox which was held some time during our months of March or April.
For Christianity, today is Good Friday, at the end of Holy Week, culminating in the commemoration of the Passion with the celebration of Easter. The Jewish 8 day celebration of Passover begins tonight, commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. For Buddhists, spring is significant mainly for its connection with events in the life of the Buddha. Hindus celebrate the birth of the lord Rama with the festival known as Rama Navami, celebrated this past April 10th.
Native Americans celebrate the Yaqui Deer dance this month, a ceremony intended to integrate ancient rites of the Yaqui people of Arizona with the Christian Easter Rituals. According to Muslim tradition, Nis Sha-ban (celebrated a month ago this year) is the time when Allah Approaches the earth to call humanity to repentance and grant forgiveness off sins. On April 21, the Bahai faith begins a celebration called Ridvan, commemorating the twelve days that Baha u llah spent in the garden of Ridvan during his exile from Baghdad.
With all of these religious events happening in less than a thirty day period, it has been the Straight No Chaser tradition to assemble a Podcast of Spiritual Jazz to honor and embrace the spiritual aspects of life. Podcast 897 is no exception, with musical selections including:
Grant Green - "Sunday Morning"
Javon Jackson - "I Opened My Mouth to the Lord"
John Zorn featuring Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, Gyan Riley - "Devotion"
The Cosmic Range - "Palms to Heaven"
Pharoah Sanders - "Prince of Peace"
Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Grady Tate - "Sanctification"
Dave Douglas - "Agnus Dei"
Afro-Semitic Experience - "Go Down Moses"
Vibration Society - "Spirits Up Above"
Duke Pearson - "Christo Redentor"
Charlie Haden & Hank Jones - "Were You There When they Crucified My Lord?"
For those interested in previous Podcasts of Spiritual Jazz, please click the links that follow to listen to Podcasts 178, 215, 341, 422, 472, 525. 617. and 676.