Bobby Watson & the “I Have a Dream” Project – Check Cashing Day – Lafiya Music, 63:41 [11/26/13] ****:
(Bobby Watson – saxophone; Herman Mehari – trumpet; Richard Johnson – piano; Curtis Lundy – bass; Eric Kennedy – drums; Glenn North – original poetry and spoken word; Pamela Baskin-Watson – vocals on #8 and #15; Horace Washington – flute on #5, 13, 14; Karita Carter – trombone on #7)
The issuance of a new Bobby Watson CD is cause for celebration. Whether it be with his group, Horizon, (who are ready to reform and go back on tour in 2014 to celebrate their 30th anniversary), or a studio session CD, we are sure to get a proper dose of soulful blues. Watson occasionally puts out a theme CD on his own label, Lafiya Music, as he did in 2010 (reviewed here) with the Gates BBQ Suite, which extolled the virtues of his native Kansas City cuisine.
Bobby’s latest project is a heartfelt tribute to Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 50th anniversary of his March on Washington, culminating with King’s famous I Have a Dream speech. Watson has put together a unique combination of spoken word poetry and music production honoring King and putting listeners on notice of the lack of significant progress of racial equality and harmony a half century later. Poet Glenn North’s profound poetic comments on “Check Cashing Day” and “Forty Acres and a Mule” hit home on the struggle that still continues. Yet there is a feeling of hope and reconciliation that Bobby expresses in his compositions that in Watson’s words (can) “cleanse the soul.”
A simple listing of track titles — “Black is Back,” “A Blues of Hope,” “Progress,” “The Triad (Martin, Malcolm Ghandi”) — give immediate notice of the theme of Check Cashing Day.
“Sweet Dreams” opens with a hopeful groove as Bobby and trumpeter Mehari mesh like cornbread with warm honey, and Watson has a sweet solo. “Check Cashing Day” deals with the 100 year old “check” that King came to Washington D.C to cash, only to give his life several years later for the struggle. Another Martin, that of Trayvon Martin, is aptly mentioned here, as is Barack Obama, with mention of his presidency only a step in moving forward.
“Black is Back” and “A Blues of Hope” follow and blend both the mournful and hopeful. “Forty Acres and a Mule” brings some righteous anger from poet North. “Dark Days” blends thoughts about Mandela and American black leaders with Watson, Mehari, and pianist Johnson comping in a somber mood. As North emotes, “Dreams deferred leave vision blurred. I’ve got dark days ahead of me..”
“Seekers of the Sun (Son),” has vocalist Pamela Baskin-Watson, and North in a hopeful vein. “Progress” moves that mood forward and trumpeter, Mehari, has a nice solo before Bobby steps in. “The Triad, ” honoring Martin, Malcolm, and Ghandi, is a moving blues by Bobby. “My Song” is a defiant paean by North. “MLK on Jazz (Love Transforms)” follows and though quite brief at only 2:09, is fascinating as Dr. King’s comments on the power of jazz in an opening address he made in 1964 at the Berlin Jazz Festival, where he states that the power of jazz has strengthened the civil rights movement.
This moving CD ends with Ellington’s spiritual “Come Sunday’ and Pamela Baskin-Watson brings a powerful plea to the Lord for a path to redemption.
Bobby Watson plans in the new year to tour with his “I Have a Dream” project. It will surely be a production to experience, as is this captivating CD release.
TrackList: Sweet Dreams, Check Cashing Day (for Ms Trudy), At the Crossroads, Black is Back, A Blues of Hope, Forty Acres and a Mule, Dark Days, Seekers of the Sun(Son), Progress, Black is Back (Reprise), The Triad (Martin, Malcolm, and Gandhi), My Song, MLK on Jazz (Love Transforms), Revival, Come Sunday
—Jeff Krow
