Jazz in the 1960s and beyond routinely paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. On what would have been the civil rights leader's 83d birthday, here's a list of worthy jazz paens:
John Coltrane—Alabama (1964). This composition was written in honor of the six black girls killed by the 16th St. BaptistChurch bombing in Birmingham, Ala., on September 15, 1963. The cadence Coltrane chose for the song recorded in November 1963 was based on on Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech, delivered in Washington, D.C., in August 1963. Alabama appears on Coltrane's Live at Birdland.
Cecil Payne—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968). From Zodiac,with Kenny Dorham (tp) Cecil Payne (bar-2,as-1) Wynton Kelly (p-3,org-4) Wilbur Ware (b) Albert “Tootie" Heath (d).
Charles Earland—Suite for Martin Luther King (1974). From Kharma, with Jon Faddis (tp) Clifford Adams (tb) Dave Hubbard (fl,sop,ts) Charles Earland (org,el-p,synt) Aurell Ray (g) Ron Carter (el-b-1) George Johnson (d).
Big Joe Turner—Martin Luther KingSouthside (1975). From Everyday I Have the Blues, with Joe Turner (vcl) acc by Sonny Stitt (as-1,ts-2) J.D. Nicholson (p) Pee Wee Crayton (g) Chuck Norris (el-b) Washington Rucker (d).
Bill Cole—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1999). From Bill Cole's Untempered Ensemble, recorded live at the Carol Sloane Theater in Greefield, Mass.
John Coltrane—Alabama (1964). This composition was written in honor of the six black girls killed by the 16th St. BaptistChurch bombing in Birmingham, Ala., on September 15, 1963. The cadence Coltrane chose for the song recorded in November 1963 was based on on Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech, delivered in Washington, D.C., in August 1963. Alabama appears on Coltrane's Live at Birdland.
Cecil Payne—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968). From Zodiac,with Kenny Dorham (tp) Cecil Payne (bar-2,as-1) Wynton Kelly (p-3,org-4) Wilbur Ware (b) Albert “Tootie" Heath (d).
Charles Earland—Suite for Martin Luther King (1974). From Kharma, with Jon Faddis (tp) Clifford Adams (tb) Dave Hubbard (fl,sop,ts) Charles Earland (org,el-p,synt) Aurell Ray (g) Ron Carter (el-b-1) George Johnson (d).
Big Joe Turner—Martin Luther KingSouthside (1975). From Everyday I Have the Blues, with Joe Turner (vcl) acc by Sonny Stitt (as-1,ts-2) J.D. Nicholson (p) Pee Wee Crayton (g) Chuck Norris (el-b) Washington Rucker (d).
Bill Cole—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1999). From Bill Cole's Untempered Ensemble, recorded live at the Carol Sloane Theater in Greefield, Mass.
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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