Soul of a Nation shows how the ideals of the civil rights movement, black power and black nationalism influenced the evolvement of radical African-American music in the United States of America in the intensely political and revolutionary period at the end of the 1960s following the assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and the rise of the Black Panther party.
Featuring groundbreaking artists such as Gil Scott-Heron, Roy Ayers, Don Cherry, Oneness of Juju, Sarah Webster Fabio, Horace Tapscott, Phil Ranelin and many others, Soul of A Nation shows how political themes led to the rise of ‘conscious’ black music as new afro-centric styles combined the musical radicalism and spirituality of John Coltrane and radical avant-garde jazz music alongside the intense funk and soul of James Brown and Aretha Franklin and the urban poetry and proto-rap of the streets.
The Soul of a Nation exhibition draws on the links between Black art forms – art, music, poetry - and how they came together during the civil rights and black power era as part of the wider black arts movement across the United States.
Iconic African-Amercian revolutionary figures such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Angela Davis, John Coltrane, Muhammad Ali all appear in the radical artworks of Barkley L. Hendricks, Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Lorraine O’Grady and Betye Saar.
Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records) will appear with the curators on the panel of Jazz for Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power discussion at the gallery as part of the show. You can book a ticket for this event here
The Soul of a Nation album comes with extensive sleeve-notes and exclusive photography in a large 36-page outsize booklet and slipcase. Double gatefold vinyl album edition comes with full colour inners + bonus download code and includes full sleeve-notes/photography.
Read More Reviews of the Soul of A Nation Exhibition:
Independent
Time Out
The Telegraph
Frieze
BBC News
Tracklist:
A1. Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
A2. Mandingo Griot Society With Don Cherry - Sounds From The Bush
A3. Roy Ayers - Ubiquity Red, Black And Green
A4. Philip Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble - Malcolm X
B1. Sarah Webster Fabio - Sweet Songs
B2. Phil Ranelin - Vibes From The Tribe
B3. Horace Tapscott With The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra - Desert Fairy Princess
C1. David McKnight - Strong Men
C2. Joe Henderson - Black Narcissus
C3. Oneness Of Juju - African Rhythms
D1. Doug Carn - Suratal Ihklas
D2. Duke Edwards & The Young Ones - Is It Too Late?
D3. Carlos Garnett - Mother Of The Future
Format: 2 x 12-inch Vinyl LP
Label: Soul Jazz Records
Catalog: SJR LP393
Released: 2017
Genre: Jazz / Soul / Funk
