"Do we want to find a better way?": The Democracy! Suite by Wynton Marsalis

“Where words fail, music speaks”.

This quote by Hans Christian Andersen has never seemed more true. 

Today, words seem to be twisted and manipulated in horrible ways, sometimes causing hate and discontent.

Internationally acclaimed musician, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, bandleader, educator and advocate for American culture, Wynton Marsalis composed a jazz suite to help bring America, and the world together. 

“The Democracy! Suite” was written to show that music, beautiful and joyous music, can bring people closer together. 

The suite was recorded by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet with Wynton Marsalis on Sept. 15, 2020, and released on Jan. 15, 2021.

The eight tracks in the album consist of different movements and systems that America has gone through, including the Black Lives Matter revolution and voting.

With the times being as agitated as they have been, musicians are working hard as a community to help people reflect on the past and look forward to a better future. 

“The question that confronts us right now as a nation is, ‘Do we want to find a better way?’” Marsalis said. 

The album is downloadable on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify and other platforms. 

Click here for information on the album.

Image courtesy of https://wyntonmarsalis.org/discography/title/the-democracy-suite.