“CHANGE” A Suite for Nelson Mandela

by Michael Gregory Jackson

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1.	"Change" A Suite for Nelson Mandela 19:58	lyrics	buy track
“Change” for Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ©Michael Gregory Jackson the days begun, the war is won, now comes the call for unity, so many years under the gun, apartheid sung it’s ugly theme, now finally new dignity, for all to live equality, a part of me Africa free, Mandela, liberty, celebrate, victory, change will grace us all, heart of darkness beating free, change will grace us all, now is the time, spirits fly, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace, grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace, grace us, change will grace us all, now take the cue America, it’s time to right your wrongs, as long as we fear the differences that exist between us, we will always be alone, now finally new liberty, for all to live equality, now take the time to look inside, embrace your liberty, celebrate, victory, change will grace us all, heart of darkness beating free, change will grace us all, now is the time, spirits fly, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all,change will grace, grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace, grace us, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all.
2.	"Change" (excerpt) A Suite for Nelson Mandela 02:06	lyrics	buy track
“Change” for Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ©Michael Gregory Jackson the days begun, the war is won, now comes the call for unity, so many years under the gun, apartheid sung it’s ugly theme, now finally new dignity, for all to live equality, a part of me Africa free, Mandela, liberty, celebrate, victory, change will grace us all, heart of darkness beating free, change will grace us all, now is the time, spirits fly, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace, grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace, grace us, change will grace us all, now take the cue America, it’s time to right your wrongs, as long as we fear the differences that exist between us, we will always be alone, now finally new liberty, for all to live equality, now take the time to look inside, embrace your liberty, celebrate, victory, change will grace us all, heart of darkness beating free, change will grace us all, now is the time, spirits fly, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all,change will grace, grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace, grace us, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all, change will grace us all.

about

MICHAEL GREGORY JACKSON’S “CHANGE” for Madiba Nelson Mandela - Photo: Mark Coelho. Cover Art/Graphics: Michael Gregory Jackson

"This Suite was developed as an anthem of change recorded in 1994 to mark the closing stanza of Apartheid and to salute the man and celebrate the struggle of Madiba Nelson Mandela.

Part PRAYER, part WISH part GUIDEBOOK (“now is the time”) this suite traces Africa ~ USA parallels. Michael is at once tributing the great teacher & agent of revolutionary promise by raising the banner of profound social recasting championed by Madiba Nelson Mandela and his colleagues to the rafters.

Michael Gregory Jackson here talks about the restoration of goodness and our having attainable goals. It seems to me to be most emphatically about the exigency of taking steps to substantively ACTIVATE change. Mr. Jackson seems to want to charge the battery of this earth-mobile and get it headed toward a brighter day.

His use of the hook “change will grace us all” indicates that we need a BLESSING. We global citizens need something spiritual; something mystical to happen before we can end the threat of hate and bigotry to African and all kinds of oppressed people on this Earth…and that our goals for the achievement of Freedom and Justice will be accomplished via Spirituality by way of our individual sense and experience of the divine.

For this newness to take hold ~ to have a chance to dismantle the status quo: we humans need to extend our powers beyond mere physical rearrangement. We need bold & significant change of heart to happen.

This anthem about change features impassioned singing by Jackson. His vocal style has always been unique, layered over harmonies that sometimes suggest Hendrix, Ernie Isley combined with modal players such Vernon Reid, his SOUL-inflected riffs are tempered with jazzy chords.

He suggests that materialism, greed and force will only lead us to further lamentation> It isn’t the way…

Spirituality encapsulated in a collective acceptance of our individual experiences will lead to real change. Hopefully reverence of the divine will illuminate positive change and bring about more lasting peace and prosperity for all this planet’s posse.

Whatever the instrument is we hear in the opening bars of Change (will grace us all) it intones a certain loneliness and travail - I remember this instrument's hum from the soundtrack of Shaka Zulu. … use of trumpet here brings to mind wailing female song... poignant in prayer… I hear Stevie Wonder’s influence… Stephen Haynes’ trumpet solo and the hard driving sax solo of Chuck Langford plus impassioned singing by Jackson blend together suggesting urgency and inspired fire to explore the subject of social transformation… Insofar as Michael’s guitar solo is concerned . . . Michael always has the chops at the ready to say what he wants to say. He is always able to be himself… His rocking’ SOUL explorations intrigue us with temperature and intensity.

This heady mix of “jazz” SOUL and sizzle rock propel the story he is telling us about Movement and change. We hear an harmonic flood pouring through the gate coming after us~ We need to build and Ark to rescue humankind. A rhythmic shout of guitar devoid of screaming leads the way.

The trumpet saxophone and guitar each usher us through varied settings on a safari of hope and restoration.

Michael Gregory Jackson’s 1994 suite augurs of a change that exists in submission to spiritual codes… signaling that we need faith in our struggle to achieve an uplifting outcome.

Michael Gregory Jackson sets it off his with his six instrumentalists including himself and three female voices to create a nonet of rich consonance."- Nashira Priester 6/25/2020

Michael Gregory Jackson - guitar, vocal, composer (solo 3),
Stephen Haynes - trumpet (solo intro), Chuck Langford - saxophone (solo 2), John Livermore - keyboard, Joe Fitzpatrick - drums, Chris Murch - bass, Tamsen Fynn, Eva Fierstein and Sara Lazare - background vocals.

credits

released July 3, 2020

Michael Gregory Jackson - guitar, vocal, composer, digital editing and mastering (solo 3), Stephen Haynes - trumpet (solo intro), Chuck Langford - saxophone (solo 2), John Livermore - keyboard, Joe Fitzpatrick - drums, Chris Murch - bass, Tamsen Fynn, Eva Fierstein and Sara Lazare - background vocals. - GOLDEN Records - Recorded Live 1994 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA.

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Michael Gregory Jackson Los Angeles, California

"MGJ first made waves…in New York's loft-jazz scene of the 1970s… alongside such major innovators as Oliver Lake, David Murray, and Wadada Leo Smith, he quietly laid the groundwork for much of what we take for granted in the contemporary jazz-guitar vocabulary." National Sawdust NY

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