Freedom Riders Jazz Collective: Civil Rights, Maya Angelou, and NYC Winter Jazzfest

Honoring the Legacy of Freedom Riders

• ✊ The Jazz Collective Freedom Riders draws its name from the 1960s civil rights activists, celebrating their legacy and the music of the movement.
• 🎶 Their performance at NYC Winter Jazzfest, titled 'My Country 'Tis of Thee,' features special guests and honors civil rights history.

Performance of 'Freedom Day'

• 🕊️ The group performed 'Freedom Day,' a powerful anthem by Max Roach and Oscar Brown Jr., deeply connected to the civil rights movement.
• 💡 Vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles discussed the song's enduring relevance and the importance of Abby Lincoln's embodiment of its lyrics.
• 🎨 Charles described her arrangement as cultivating a sonic space that allows for improvisation and individual expression, making each performance unique.

The Collective's Formation and Philosophy

• 🤝 The Freedom Riders ensemble is a collaborative effort, bringing together musicians who have been integral to the Winter Jazzfest community.
• 🌟 The group's spirit is rooted in the black feminist collective collaborative idea, inspired by the over 400 Freedom Riders who risked their lives for the cause.
• 🎷 The ensemble includes performers like Joe Dyson (drums), Alfredo Colon (saxophone), Milena Casado (trumpet), Carmen Staaf (piano), and Noah Garabedian (bass).

Jazz as a Tool for Freedom

• ⛓️ Jazz and Black American music are seen as vital in breaking down societal barriers and preventing individuals from being confined to boxes.
• 🌈 This music allows for complexity and multifaceted expression, existing along a spectrum rather than in binary terms.
• 🎵 It served as the soundtrack to the civil rights movement and continues to be a soundtrack for ongoing societal progress.

Diverse Repertoire and Social Issues

• 🌍 The collective performs both older songs and new material, with each composition addressing important individual and collective issues.
• 🇵🇸 A piece by Sasha Berliner shows solidarity with Palestine and Gaza.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Tokei Sanders contributed a song in solidarity with LGBTQIA rights.
• 🗣️ The philosophy of Fannie Lou Hamer, 'nobody's free till everybody's free,' underscores the ensemble's commitment to addressing a wide range of issues together.

'Discover This Country' and Maya Angelou

• 🇺🇸 The concert concluded with 'Discover This Country,' a piece set to Maya Angelou's poem 'America,' honoring the festival's theme 'Still We Rise.'
• 💔 The lyrics reflect a critical perspective on America's unfulfilled promises and ongoing struggles with justice and equality.
• 🎤 Sarah Elizabeth Charles collaborated with Dr. Maya Angelou on this music about ten years ago, using her powerful words to convey a vision for the country.