Podcast 878: A Conversation with Galen Abdur-Razzaq on Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement

Here's an event perfect for jazz fans and those looking to delve more deeply into Black History Month – a combined lecture and musical performance by flutist and educator Galen Abdur-Razzaq chronicling how jazz musicians became advocates for the Civil Rights Movement. From stirring performances that called out injustice to  performing benefit concerts that financed major events such as the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington, there is much to learn about how jazz influenced the Civil Rights movement, and vice versa. The lecture will be infused with musical demonstrations from Galen on his flute. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and holds a Master's Degree in Performance and Education from Rutgers University. A riveting speaker with an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz, Galen has recorded under his own name and with such luminaries as Sun Ra, Dr. Billy Taylor, Jimmy Heath, and Freda Payne. Podcast 878 is my conversation with Galen Abdur-Razzaq, as we discuss some of the highlights of his presentation, and he shares first-person insight into the music that was made during this historic period. Musical selections to provide greater context for his presentation include John Coltrane's "Alabama" and a live performance of Nina Simone and her incendiary "Mississippi Goddam." This event is being performed virtually and hosted at no cost to participants on February 15th at 6:00 p.m. EST by the Agawam (Massachusetts) Public Library. Please click here to register. Participants will be emailed a Zoom link on the day of the event.