Mar 29, 2013
In keeping with the theme of presenting spiritual music performed by jazz artists this week, here is "Crucifixion", a traditional spiritual with a copyright credited to its arranger, Jester Hairston.
Hairston (1901-2000) was a prolific composer and arranger of African-American music. In addiiton to dozens of arrangments...
Mar 28, 2013
The fine blog Any Major Dude with Half a Heart (dig that Steely Dan reference) has always gone deep into the crates for goodies, usually of the soul variety. Today, celebrated as Holy Thursday by Catholics around the world, he has a real winner. Visit his page for David Axelrod's "Holy Thursday". As he says on his...
Mar 27, 2013
Continuing with musical selections of a spiritual or religious nature, here is a piano jazz version of the African-American Spiritual "Were You There?" from Pamela York's new CD, Lay Down This World - Hymns and Spirituals. The Cd may displease hardcore lovers of religious music in that at times it takes wonderful...
Mar 25, 2013
Christian Holy Week includes the Jewish holiday of Passover this year, so this week will feature jazz music of a spiritual nature. As the first Seder is tonight, celebrating the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of the prophet Moses, I've tabbed "Go Down Moses" as the official song...
Mar 24, 2013
Holy week for those of the Christian faith begins today, and the first night of Passover, the Jewish festival of freedom, begins tomorrow evening. Last week marked the Baha'I festival of Nowruz, and the Hindu festival of Holi takes place later this week, as does the Sikh holiday of Hola Mohalla. The Buddhist New Year...