If It Ain't Got That Sing... can it protest?

Nia Continues the Conversation on Jazz and Protest with a look at Charlie Haden

What exactly is protest music, in this case jazz, without lyrics?  The last issue of the Nia Coffeehouse brought to you Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone with Armstrong's, Black and Blue and Nina Simone's, Goddam Mississippi.  Louis bemoans the plight of African Americans by asking, "what did I do to be so black and blue," and Ms. Simone lashes out at Jim Crow, lynching and the state of Mississippi over the assassination of Medgar Evers with a frustrated exclamation, "Goddam Mississippi!"

As Nia asked the question about protest music in jazz today Charlie Haden crossed our sights.  His album, American Dreams is touted by Byron Woods in, Indy Week dotcom back in 2003 as protest jazz, but is it really?  No doubt Charlie, has "chops" with his effort called, Haunted Hearts making Time magazine's top ten list in 1992 and Down Beat selecting Always Say Goodbye as jazz album of the year in 1994.
In my effort to learn more about American Classical Music I find that it is indeed classical and extremely sophisticated so that the listener has to grow in sophistication to fully enjoy it.  A major part of growing in sophistication is just listening and letting the music have first place for a minute.

One very interesting thing is how the album is touted as protest in the Indy Week. com article, Protest Jazz- Bassist Charlie Haden's American Dream but on Charlie's website patriotism and love of country ( certainly protest constitutes for all but the "love it or leave" ilk love of country) wade through, no gush through the music to the forefront in the description. Whatever happened to there's no such thing as bad publicity? Well certainly there is and the joint is first and foremost a nice piece of work whether it is in your face protest or sappy patriotism.
Give Charlie Haden's "America the Beautiful" a listen; compare it to a Ray Charles version with orchestra and challenge yourself to relegate Ray to the back ground, which is a fun exercise and not as hard as you might think, and focus on how the music takes one to a quite different place than where Charlie Haden's version goes, especially the last stanza.  Love or leave it guys you'll love this America the Beautiful by the Gaither Vocal Band it was a little hard for me to get through although as you would expect from the Gaithers it is very well done.
You might enjoy more about Charlie Haden and his Liberation Music Orchestra here at a devout musician I did.
Where is Charlie Haden today?  Check out Charlie Haden news.

An excerpt from the Byron Woods article:

 "But another Charlie Haden story concerns his protests against the Vietnam War, our country's interventions in El Salvador, and apartheid in South Africa. You can hear them on the three Liberation Music Orchestra recordings he's made since 1970--each recorded, as he's pointed out, while a Republican was president."

Here's Byron Woods at Twitter 
 Nia is still wanting local jazz musicians to showcase protest or involvement in today's society at the Nia Coffeehouse and maybe educate us with some words also.  Bring your band and play with Vince Robinson and the Jazz Poets or let's work out sumpthin. (The Jazz Poets at facebook)

Nia means purpose.