Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Wynton Marsalis asks the question that confronts us as a nation: “Do we want to find a better way?”
He answered that in the eight songs that comprise his 2022 album “The Democracy! Suite.” The Gulf Coast Jazz Collective – Paul Gavin, Zak Bartholomew and Brandon Robertson – will perform it on April 18.
“Paul came to me and he said, ‘I'd really like to do Wynton Marsalis' Democracy! Suite,’ an amazing piece of music. And so, they're ending their season with that particular piece,” explained Gulf Coast Symphony Music Director Andrew Kurtz.
Marsalis refers to jazz as the perfect metaphor for democracy. In many ways, jazz shows how we can find harmony with one another and work together to become a more inclusive, kinder, and equitable nation. “Democracy! Suite’s” dynamic rhythms, rich harmonies and hopeful themes showcase the power of jazz as a voice for community and change.
“It's a tribute to America 250,” said Kurtz. “It's an important voice talking about democracy.”
The music of “The Democracy! Suite” may be instrumental, but it urges us to spring into action … to get out of our seats and fight for the world we believe in.
The performance takes place at 7 p.m. in the Music & Arts Community Center.
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Wynton Marsalis’ exploration of socio-cultural and political issues has yielded some of his most inspired and provocative work over the past four decades. Those works include:
- the Grammy Award-winning “Black Codes” in 1985;
- “Blood on the Fields” in 1996, the first jazz composition ever to win a Pulitzer Prize;
- “All Rise” in 2002, performed by symphonic orchestras the world over to great acclaim;
- 2007’s “From the Plantation to the Penitentiary,” which one reviewer said “reveals some important truths about this country with a lot of anger and heart;” and
- “The Ever Fonky Lowdown” in 2020, Marsalis’ composition to directly address the lethal cocktail of deception, racism, greed, and gullibility that subverts the global fight for human rights and corrupts the possibilities and promise of democracy in America and around the world.
Originally composed during the pandemic as a response to the political, social, and economic struggles facing our nation, “The Democracy! Suite" speaks to the spirit of resilience, unity, and creative expression. Described as “poignant” and “buoyant,” it proves that the joy and beauty of jazz can bring us all closer together.
The eight songs in "The Democracy! Suite" are intended to demonstrate “that the joy and beauty of jazz can bring us all closer together,” Wynton Marsalis said in a press release. While Marsalis intended them to work together synergistically, each tune stands on its own.
The first cut, “Be Present,” exudes a retro vibe reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard’s work from the early ‘60s. It is lush, romantic, optimistic and cheerful.
This optimistic tenor is replicated in the raucous “Sloganize, Patronize, Realize, Revolutionize…” and “Deeper Than Dreams,” a deep, bluesy ballad with New Orleans harmonies that pays tribute to those who lost loved ones during the pandemic.
“Ballot Box Bounce” rushes as if it’s late to work.
And “Out Amongst the People (For J Bat)” is an impassioned reflection of turbulent times in which peerless musicians work as a harmonious community, urging listeners to reflect on the past and reconsider the future.
Perhaps there’s an underlying message here that doesn’t need to be belabored. The way we get through all the noise currently drowning us out is by keeping our heads held high, working together, and remembering how to smile.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
