Democracy takes center stage on Wynton Marsalis's latest album, The Ever Fonky Lowdown and his forthcoming work, the Democracy Suite. However, he's been thinking about the connection between jazz and democracy for his entire career. We are thrilled that he took a few minutes to talk with us about it this week. Listen to this episode while you wait in line to vote or for something to take your mind off the election while you're waiting for the results to come in.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown from Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra addresses the timeless cycle and methods used by an elite to exploit their fellow citizens in order to acquire, expand and maintain power.
In the words of Mr. Game himself, ”We are here tonight, but this is an international hustle. It has played out many times across time and space, and is not specific to any language or race. It takes on different flavors according to people’s taste, but always ends up in the same old place.”
Clips from The Ever Fonky Lowdown are used with permission from Blue Engine Records.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown - Jazz at Lincoln Center shop
The Ever Fonky Lowdown libretto, written by Wynton Marsalis
How music transcends political polarization
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We are part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.