U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says a vote on fudning for Ukraine and Israel coupled with increased border security could come next week…Iowa Republican tax committee chairmen release a plan to eliminate the state income tax.
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It’s Sunday, September 15, 1963, and four Klansmen have planted dynamite under the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The explosion killed four young girls and injured many others. History records this incident as a turning point in the Civil Rights movement.
John Coltrane, his heart broken, was driven to tears, anger, and frustration. But instead of giving in to hate, he chose to create. He composed his elegy, “Alabama.” Coltrane patterned the tone on Dr. Martin Luther King’s sermon, delivered from the church sanctuary three days after the bombing. Like the speech, “Alabama’s” tone changes midway through, rising from sorrow and mourning to renewed determination against hatred and racism. If the Birmingham bombing was indeed a turning point, then “Alabama” was its clarion call.
“Alabama” speaks a powerful message, one that haunts our society even today. Over fifty years later, America is still rocked by church bombings, shocked to its core by racism, hatred, and anger. Police and protestors still clash. The walls of divide, though battered, still stand. The Struggle continues, but hope lives on.
This episode of “Soundtrack to the Struggle” was written and produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producers Dennis Green and George Dorman. Hosted by Hollis Monroe.
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Brian Tanner, Scot Hughes and Josh Sazon are excited to bring the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial back to life with Iowa City Community Theatre’s upcoming production of “Inherit The Wind.” The show is Feb. 2-3 & 9-10 at 7:30pm and Feb. 4 & 11 at 2pm. For tickets and more info visit www.iowacitycommunitytheatre.org.
Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at www.kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or www.kcck.org/listen.
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The regular meeting of the Kirkwood Board of Trustees will take place February 15 ,2024. Time, place, and meeting agenda can be found at this link.
The White House blasts Republicans who are blocking legislation to address the southern border…a bill that would have reduced legal protections for transgender Iowans fails to advance in the legislature.
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The KCCK Featured Album for February is “Tell the Birds I Said Hello” from bassist Ben Allison, guitarist Steve Cardenas and saxophonist Ted Nash. The fourth album by this trio focuses its attention on the ever-surprising music of the under-recognized pianist and composer Herbie Nichols. The trio puts its own spin on a set of recently discovered compositions that were never recorded by Nichols. The tunes are full of life, humor, and clever twists and turns–all the hallmarks that make his music so rewarding to play and listen to. “Tell the Birds I Said Hello” is from Camera Records. Purchase.
Three pioneering women lay claim to Blues royalty. Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Bessie Smith made an impact on American culture that still resonates today.
In 1920, Mamie Smith became the first Black musician to make vocal blues recordings. A savvy marketer, she exploited the new medium of radio to reach audiences across the country … in places she wasn’t allowed to perform live. Mamie introduced white audiences to Black artists, and in so doing, created a nationwide hunger for their music. She persevered against threats and boycotts, subtly poking holes in the color barrier.
Ma Rainey, “The Mother of the Blues,” enthralled with her powerful voice, and unique “moanin’” style. Her fierce individuality became the subject of poems, Bob Dylan songs, and an award-winning play. Ma Rainey’s contributions earned her a 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – 51 years after her death. But it was her discovery and mentorship of the great Bessie Smith that cements her legacy.
Bessie Smith, “The Empress of the Blues,” was, at the height of her career, the nation’s highest paid Black entertainer. And like Mamie Smith, she used the power of radio to reach white audiences. She made history by performing on Broadway and in an early “talkie” film. Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin, all credit Bessie Smith as a major influence.
This episode of “Soundtrack to the Struggle” was written and produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producers Dennis Green and George Dorman. Hosted by Hollis Monroe.
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Night Swim (2024) and Spawn of the Slithis (1978) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Ron Adkins.
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