#4374, It's About Justice
It’s an hour about justice (and some peace) with music by bass player Vic Wooten, composer Shelley Washington, pianist Vijay Iyer and spoken word artist Mike Ladd, and music by Frederic Rzewski’s variations on the Chilean protest song.
Listen to “Justice” by bass player, composer, and vocalist Vic Wooten along with drummer JD Blair (Shania Twain, Lyle Lovett), recorded in 1996 at BAM. Then, listen to maverick American composer Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, solo piano variations on the Chilean protest song from the era of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. It's from the original recording featuring new music’s iconic pianist Ursula Oppens. Also, hear more solo piano in a versions of songs by John Lennon, with “Imagine” as arranged by Vijay Iyer and Frederic Rzewski’s short fantasy on “Give Peace a Chance” as played by Aki Takahashi.
Then, there’s music by composer and educator Shelley Washington “inspired by a particular social justice issue close to [her] heart. [She] chose to highlight the simultaneous feeling of power and powerlessness, and the often crushing isolation that comes with my being a black woman in higher academia.” (I Care If You Listen) Her work is called “Towers.” That's followed by music from spoken word artist Mike Ladd and pianist Vijay Iyer, which takes on surveillance, especially of people of color.
Hear another duo of clarinetist/composer Don Byron together with Robert Black, recorded at the Bang on a Can 2007 Marathon. The titles of the movements refer first to a term that LAPD used against black folks during the Watts riot in Los Angeles, and the second goes one further than "Strange Fruit," using another image to refer to this country's history of lynching black people. Finally, listen to music from guitarists Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz with their arrangement of Marvin Gaye’s protest song as pop music hit - “What’s Goin’ On,” recorded live at the 92nd Steet Y at the 2002 New York Guitar Festival. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4374, It's About Justice (First aired 6/3/2020)
ARTIST: Ursula Oppens
WORK: Rzewski: The People United, Will Never Be Defeated [1:00]
RECORDING: Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated
SOURCE: Vanguard Classics
INFO: Available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Victor Wooten & JD Blair
WORK: Justice [8:23]
RECORDING: Live at BAM, Nov., 1996
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: victorwooten.com | JD Blair
ARTIST: Vijay Iyer
WORK: Lennon: Imagine [3:44]
RECORDING: Reimagining
SOURCE: Savoy Jazz
INFO: vijay-iyer.com
ARTIST: Aki Takahashi
WORK: Lennon/McCartney - Short Fantasy on Give Peace a Chance, arr. Rzewski [4:43]
RECORDING: Hyper Beatles
SOURCE: EMI Japan 754155
INFO: Discogs.com
ARTIST: Ursula Oppens
WORK: Rzewski: The People United, Will Never Be Defeated [5:07]
RECORDING: Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated
SOURCE: Vanguard Classics
INFO: Available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Lior Willinger
WORK: Shelley Washington: Towers [4:42]
RECORDING: Towers
SOURCE: liorpiano.bandcamp.com
INFO: icareifyoulisten.com
ARTIST: Vijay Iyer/Mike Ladd
WORK: The Color of My Circumference [4:11]
RECORDING: In What Language?
SOURCE: Pi Recordings #09
INFO: pirecordings.com
ARTIST: Don Byron, Robert Black
WORK: Naga, Windchime [5:01]
RECORDING: Bang on a Can Marathon, 2007
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: cantaloupemusic.com
ARTIST: Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz
WORK: Gaye: What's Goin' On [9:00]
RECORDING: New York Guitar Festival, 2002 at the 92nd St. Y
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: billfrisell.com
