RIBS TPTD: Free the Jena 6 - SOUNDS OF PROTEST 2

September 27, 2007 by tgrundy
Filed under: R&B, Triple Play Thurs-Day, jazz, music, podcasts/mixes, soul 

The Jena 6 protest down in Louisiana happened one week ago today. Since then I have read in some places where people have questioned the worth and/or purpose of the march, especially since the judicial system in Jena is still playing games and Mychal Bell has not been released from jail yet (even though his conviction has been overturned by the Court of Appeals). To that kind of thinking I say…

“The D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944 didn’t end WWII either. But it was a good first step towards eventual victory.”

Last week our Triple Play Thurs-Day was called “Sounds Of Protest”, a collection of songs and jazz poetry that took us back to a time when music artists penned songs that spoke out against racism, brutality, human suffering and injustice. A time when there was a “Message In The Music”, as we like to say around here. The great thing (or the sad thing if you want to look at it that way) about these songs is that they are still as relevant today as they were when they first came out, even though some of them are over 20-30 years old.

Well, the wrongs haven’t been made right yet, and the fight against injustice is an ongoing battle. On the positive side, though, I think there are an increasing number of people in the country (of all colors) that are waking up to this reality and committing themselves to take the necessary actions to actually make America a land of equal opportunity, equal justice and freedom for all.

With that in mind, our Rhythms In Black Satin TPTD for this week is another collection of “protest” songs that serve to remind us that things still are not as they should be. This week we present to you…

Free the Jena 6: SOUNDS OF PROTEST! 2

RIBS TPTD: Free The Jena 6 - SOUNDS OF PROTEST! 2
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Playlist:

  1. O’Jays - Ship Ahoy [Ship Ahoy]
  2. Gil Scott-Heron - Angola, Louisiana [Secrets]
  3. Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes [The Undisputed Truth]
  4. 2Pac - The Rose That Grew From Concrete [The Rose That Grew From Concrete]
  5. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up [Move On Up]
  6. New Birth - Take This Train To Freedom [Comin' From All Ends]
  7. Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People [Stand!]
  8. Gil Scott-Heron - Third World Revolution [Secrets]
  9. Isley Brothers - The Heat Is On, pt 1&2 [The Heat Is On]
  10. Stevie Wonder - Big Brother [Talking Book]
  11. Curtis Mayfield - Right On For The Darkness [Back To The World]
  12. Lou Rawls - Dead End Street [The Legendary Lou Rawls]
  13. Les McCann & Eddie Harris - Compared To What [Swiss Movement]
  14. Stevie Wonder - Cash In Your Face [Hotter Than July]
  15. O’Jays - Message In Our Music [Message In The Music]

The creaking of a wooden sailing ship and the sounds of an angry sea breaking against its hull opens up our mix this week, followed by the unmistakable sound of a whip being cracked back and forth. Ship Ahoy by the The O’Jays is an poignant ballad that reminds us about how the majority of our people first arrived in this country. My favorite “blues-ician” as he sometimes like to call himself, Gil Scott-Heron, steps up next to tell us the tale the state penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana and the plight of Gary Tyler, another black man seemingly unjustly imprisoned in Louisiana; while The Undisputed Truth reminds us that Smiling Faces Sometimes can tell lies. Excellent advice indeed.

Fear not though, the mix isn’t all dreariness and despair. 2Pac brings along a message of hope and determination with his take on Nikki Giovanni’s The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Curtis Mayfield exhorts us to Move On Up, and The New Birth says, Take This Train to Freedom. Of course, a “sounds of protest” mix just wouldn’t be the same without some Sly & The Family Stone. Their Everyday People is a classic as it calls for universal togetherness by showing us how none of us can get along!

GSH does an encore with Third World Revolution. The Isley Brothers warn us that The Heat Is On because of the actions (or inaction if you will) by Big Brother (Stevie Wonder). Meanwhile, Curtis tells us Right On For The Darkness, while Lou Rawls recounts growing up on a Dead End Street. Les McCann and Eddie Harris treat us to my favorite cut in the whole mix, their classic Compared To What from the Swiss Movement LP. A finger-poppin’, jazzy romp of a political statement about political ineffectiveness and the hardships of day-to-day living.

Finally we wrap it up with Stevie Wonder’s clever Cash In Your Face, which addresses the very real problem of housing discrimination; and leave you on a hopeful note while reminding you that there’s a Message In Our Music by The O’Jays.

Enjoy!

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2 Comments on RIBS TPTD: Free the Jena 6 - SOUNDS OF PROTEST 2

  1. NetInfoWeb 2.0: Soul, R&B, Jazz and Blues on the ‘Net » links for 2007-09-28 on Fri, 28th Sep 2007 1:19 am

    2. [...] RIBS TPTD: Free the Jena 6 - SOUNDS OF PROTEST 2 (tags: Jena 6 Six soul jazz civil rights justice injustice Jena6 JenaSix TPTD netinfoweb playlist Rhythms In Black Satin RIBS) View blog reactions [...]

  2. NetInfoWeb 2.0: Soul, R&B, Jazz and Blues on the ‘Net » links for 2007-09-28 on Fri, 28th Sep 2007 1:19 am

    3. [...] RIBS TPTD: Free the Jena 6 - SOUNDS OF PROTEST 2 (tags: Jena 6 Six soul jazz civil rights justice injustice Jena6 JenaSix TPTD netinfoweb playlist Rhythms In Black Satin RIBS) View blog reactions [...]

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