In spite of it all, music happened this week.
I dug deep into my vinyl collection this week and listened to Rage Against The Machine’s debut and IDLES’ 2018 LP titled Joy As An Act of Resistance. I listened to relatively new punk records like Childbirth’s Women’s Rights and The Muslims’ Fuck These Fucking Fascists and old jazz and funk and soul and vocal albums like Sonny Rollins’ Freedom Suite, Sly And The Family Stone’s There’s A Riot Going On, and Paul Robeson’s Ballad for Americans. I pulled out Woody Guthrie’s Struggle, but started shaking and sobbing before it got to my turntable.
Right now, Mdou Moctar’s blazing Funeral for Justice, which came out in May, is in my ears as I watch the steam rise off a cup of tea and the leaves float off trees on an unseasonably warm day in New York City, which only stokes my climate anxiety. My instinct is to retreat, to sit shiva, to escape. Many people I know have talked about homesteading, living off the land and off the grid. And while enticing, I know that I can do the most good in this lifetime within and among the people.
In times of great grief, inequity, and struggle, we must take care of ourselves, so that we may take care of each other. Should the cabin lose pressure, we have to put our oxygen masks on first before trying to help those who need assistance.
When we can breathe again, we must maintain our strength together. Below are some of my favorite places, organizations, and movements that give me a sense of community, both locally and nationally:
- The Tenement Museum
- If Not Now
- The Connected Chef
- Astoria Bookshop and Books & Books and
- Sweat Records
I encourage you to find your own resources and mutual aid groups too. But part of my mission here is to make sure No Depression is not only a source of music news and cultural analysis, but also a bastion of creative support and artistic unity. As Robeson, himself, said, “Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilation’s radical voice.” And I still believe that songs and stories are how we connect, empathize, learn, and understand, the latter of which is the most radical act of all.
Individual politicians come and go (lest we forget, however, that dictators remain until death), but movements — which, in and of themselves, create community — are much steadier and more consistent. So for now, I’m going to listen to Dawn Landes’ historical treatise from January, The Liberated Women’s Songbook (ND feature) and dive back into urbanist and sociologist Jane Jacobs’ foundational book The Death and Life of Great American Cities. I’m going to hold, and be held by, my local roots music community at the Brooklyn Folk Festival this weekend, where we will sing and two-step and cry and smile once again. For together, we shall, and we must, overcome.
In spite of it all, music happened this week.
Legendary music producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones died Sunday night at the age of 91. The New York Times headline declared him a “giant of American music,” itself possibly even an understatement. While Jones’ contributions didn’t always fit into roots music categories, his influence permeated across all genres, styles, and boundaries. He wrote for Count Basie, arranged for Ray Charles, scored for Sanford and Son, produced Thriller for Michael Jackson, and more. In his later years, he used his platform for good — for charities, education, community development, and social justice.
Also, The Recording Academy announced its nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards, which are scheduled to take place on February 2. A few notable roots music highlights:
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- Chick Corea and Béla Fleck were nominated for Best Jazz Performance for “Juno” and Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Remembrance (ND feature in the Summer 2024 issue)
- Keyon Harrold was nominated for Best Alternative Jazz Album for Foreverland
- Lake Street Dive was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Album for Good Together
- Julian Lange was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Speak to Me
- The Outsiders, featuring music by Jamestown Revival, was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album (ND feature)
- Sierra Ferrell and Rhiannon Giddens were nominated for Best American Roots Performance; Ferrell for “Lighthouse” and Giddens for “The Ballad of Sally Anne” (ND review)
- Sierra Ferrell was also nominated for Best Americana Performance for “American Dreaming”
- Sarah Jarosz (ND review) and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (ND review) were nominated for Best Americana Performance for “Runaway Dream” and “Empty Trainload of Sky,” respectively
- Billy Strings and Dan Tyminski were nominated for Best Bluegrass Album for their live albums, Live Vol. 1 and Live from the Ryman, respectively
- Aoife O’Donovan was nominated for Best Folk Album for All My Friends (ND feature)
For the complete list, visit Grammy.com.
