On March 31, I wrote about my ‘odd evening ritual’ of playing Woody Guthrie’s THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND every night at 7:30PM from my front porch, or walking down the block carrying my smart speaker. More than seven months later, I am still playing a song almost every night, changing and curating my choices according to current events. For instance, for weeks after George Floyd’s killing, I played Leontyne Price’s thrilling rendition of LIFT EVERY VOICE. I’ve also rediscovered a bunch of inspiring music that expressed the optimism of the presidential contest — Cat Stevens’ THE PEACE TRAIN, two rousing songs by Allen Toussaint — YES WE CAN CAN and WE THE PEOPLE, and two more from Curtis Mayfield — MOVE ON UP and PEOPLE GET READY. John Lennon’s POWER TO THE PEOPLE isn’t a musical masterpiece, but the message certainly seemed right over the past few weeks. Bob Dylan’s THE TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGIN’ has been another favorite, although I have often ruefully thought, listening, that things have not changed nearly enough since Bob recorded it in 1963.
At first I was a little nervous about disturbing the peace. But now strollers and passers-by and dog-walkers wave and acknowledge me, and often make affirming remarks: ‘were you playing Cat Stevens last night?’ or ‘I’ve been listening to LIFT EVERY VOICE too!’ These small connections make me hopeful that my nightly musical offerings are heard and appreciated. Choosing them has been an enriching experience for me too.
Linnetontheleaf 