An MLK Day Miscellany

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in America, and I've gathered a collection of relevant and interesting links in honor of the great man's birthday.

LIFE has just released an selection of never-before-seen images taken by Paul Schutzer of Dr. King and his involvement with the Freedom Rides in the South.  I respectfully submit that anyone who doesn't "remember it as being all that bad" should take a look at these.  

PBS has a section dedicated to the 1987 documentary Eyes On The Prize, which will be rebroadcast on April 1, 8, and 15. One of the many things you can view on the website is footage of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which includes a portion of Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech.  If you have never read the speech in its entirety, I encourage you to do so.  

More than at any other time in recent memory, music was a force for social change during the 1960s. Bernice Johnson Reagon discusses in her excellent essay "Music and the Civil Rights Movement" just how important music was to those involved in the struggle, and what purposes it served.

Here's the complete video of "Civil Rights: The Music and the Movement," a panel hosted by the University of California/Davis' Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on January 15, 2009.  Mavis Staples discusses music's role in the movement with Jeffrey Callison and Dr. Milmon Harrison.

From NPR's Take Five: A Weekly Jazz Sampler comes "Songs of the Civil Rights Movement," a short list of jazz and jazz/blues covers of inspirational songs from the era (originally published on January 18, 2010).

Likewise, Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild has assembled a playlist of inspirational songs for this day.  "Dignity": An Uplifting Playlist For Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Huffington Post)

Wild heads off the list with "Dignity," which is one of my favorite of Bob Dylan's latter-day songs.  Here's a video of him performing it on MTV's Unplugged in 1995.

Searchin' high/Searchin' low/Searchin' everywhere I know/

Askin' the cops wherever I go/Have you seen dignity?

Dr. King, this world sure could use some of your dignity right about now.

"And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.  You don't have to have a college degree to serve.  You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.  You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.  You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.  And you can be that servant."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from "The Drum Major Instinct,"  

February 4th, 1968

"You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for all."

- Christ speaking to His disciples, Mark 10:42(b)-45 (NKJV); Dr. King used the passage these verses are taken from as the basis for his "Drum Major Instinct" sermon. 

Thanksgiving is a special night . . .

It's that time of year again . . . when we Americans cook too much, eat too much, and indulge in self-loathing for days on end afterwards.  Yep, it's Thanksgiving, folks, and to celebrate here's a musical smorgasbord for your enjoyment. Bon appetit!

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a trip to Alice's Restaurant.  Don't forget your shovels, rakes, and implements of destruction!

And just for fun, here's a clip from the 1969 movie.  I want you to sit down on that bench and watch this - now, kid!




The Band's Last Waltz was held at San Francisco's Winterland theater on Thanksgiving Day 1976.  The price of admission to the concert included Thanksgiving dinner, which was catered for 5,000 people. How much were tickets, you might ask?  A mere $25 apiece - certainly a princely sum 34 years ago. The mind boggles at to what such a soiree would cost the concertgoer of today!

Here's my all-time favorite version of "Up On Cripple Creek."  The vocal interplay between Levon and Rick is priceless.

"When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go
Straight down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico . . ."




The Band + The Staple Singers = a match made in heaven.  Take a load off, Fanny, and let them take you there.



If you don't have the film, you can visit Wolfgang's Vault and listen to the concert in its entirety for free (you'll have to sign up for an account). Here's one of my favorite deep cuts from that night.

Listen to more The Band at Wolfgang's Vault.

Another must-see in our house every year is the 1987 John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  Starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy, it never fails to make me laugh - and cry.  Here's one of the lighter moments:  Del Griffith playing air piano to Ray Charles' "Mess Around" - while driving.  I mean, who hasn't done this?



You Can't Take It With You is a Frank Capra gem from 1938 starring Lionel Barrymore, Jimmy Stewart, and Jean Arthur.  Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Kaufman and Hart play, it's a hilarious and touching story about friendship, enjoying life, and being thankful for what you have.  This is the final scene from the film, and I agree with Grandpa that a lot of the world's problems could be solved if we just sat down and made music together.  If you've never seen this, find it and watch it in its entirety - they don't make movies like this anymore.



NPR has compiled a fantastic Thanksgiving playlist with a little something for everyone.  "Country Pie," "Drinkin' Wine Spoodie Odie," and "Shortnin' Bread"?  Sounds like my kind of Thanksgiving!  Pass the "Cornbread and Butter Beans" please, and remember to "Be Thankful For What You Got."

Eartyme's Dustin Ogdin lists the 7 Roots Music Staples I'm Thankful For.  And indeed, he is spot on - for without any one of these crucial elements, American music as we know it today would simply not exist.

I'm a fan of Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild's writing.  His latest Huffington Post entry, about his encounters over the years with the members of the Beatles, reminds me of why I fell in love with music to begin with.  Likewise, the Wall Street Journal's Evan Newmark gives thanks to, and draws an interesting comparison between, writer Saul Bellow and Bruce Springsteen.

And last but not least, Thanksgiving just would not be complete without "The Thanksgiving Song."

"Thanksgiving is a special night
Jimmy Walker used to say "Dy-no-mite!"  That's right!"



May you and yours be blessed, on this Thanksgiving and always.