Social messages are being delivered in a wide variety of ways, such as sports and music. Here are some albums addressing the issues of today.
Vibraphonist Jalen Baker brings together a clever collection of musicians in a mix and match of strings with Jessica McJunkins-Orlando Wells/vi, Susan Mandel/cel, Andrew 
Griffin/va, a rhythm team of Paul Cornish/p, Gabriel Goody/b and Bavin Moochan/dr and trumpet player Giveton Gelin on this collection of mostly original tunes.
Most of the song titles deal with today’s social climate, with each piece conveying a certain mood. The mix of elegant strings with vibes create a rich texture on “So Help Me God” and the lovely and melancholy ballad “Patience” while the currents get urgent for “Don’t Shoot”. Moochan is emotive on the rich and reverent “Praise” and soulful with Gelin on the pleading “Healing”. Baker gives some rich work with Goody on “Faith” and gives a personal and thoughtful solo read of Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s In Need of Love Today”. Sermons without getting preachy.
Vocalist Dee Daniels gives a musical testimony about what God’s done in her life, and offering true solutions to today’s climate in an uplifting album that turns every day into Sunday. A she rotates with a core team of Felton Offard/g, Bobby Floyd/p, Tim Fullerton/b, Dartagnon Gunn/dr, Bill Coon/g, Dave Pierce and Sal Ferraras/perc with a mix and match of background singers and strings (arranged by John Clayton). Daniels hits the pulpit and gives witness on “I Am Forgiven” and gets the choir rollicking for “Love Is The Answer” while pleads to the Almighty on “My Prayer”. She’s relaxed and convincing on “One Moment In Time” and puts her spirit into the big beat of “Grateful” and the gospel fested “The Promise”. She shows her romantic side on the soulfest of “Choose Me” and cozy “Dance With Me”, but this is a lady who wants you to know that of “Faith, Hope and Love”, that love is the greatest of all.
Singer and songwriter Dara Tucker brings in messages from various composers to create a musical mosaic of hope for a world looking for light. She’s joined by the spiritual leader Cyrus Chestnut or Sullivan Fortner on piano, along with Dezron Douglas-Vicent Archer/b, Johnathan Blake-Joe Dyson/dr, Giveton Elen/tp and John Ellis/ts-ss in mix and match roles throughout. Her voice ranges from a Disney upbeat tone on “Secret To Life” to an assuring “You’ve Got A Friend” with a soulful take on “Wade In The Water”. She gives an intriguing read (is it now to Pres Biden?) on Stevie Wonder’s protest to Nixon on a muscular “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” and is heartfelt on her own “Do We Sleep?”. She gets the Motown vibe with Ellis on “What’s Going On” and she’s at her jazziest on “Love’s In Need of Love Today”. Her duet with Fortner on the closing “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” is her most intimate, but the entire album is a plea to return to focus on the important things in life.
The core team of Keith Brown/p-key-syn, Dezron Douglas/b and Terreon “Tank” Gully-Darrell Green/dr brings musical messages of jazz and hip hop supplemented by spoken, sung and rapped messages from various guests. Russell Gunn/tp and Anthony Ware/ts add horns to Brown’s ragtime piano turned hip hop for Cyrus Aaron spoken word on “African Ripples Epigraph” while he also gives a sober message with the trio on “ Prayer For My Nephews”. Brown’s fingers fly on the instrumentals “African Ripples Part I and II” and the team cooks on “Eye 2 Eye” with the Sun”, getting Mingusy loose as Douglas is featured on “NAFID”. The horns get soulful on “Song of Samson” and warm on “512 Arkansas”. The team lilts under Camille Thurman’s rich charms on “Queen” and synthy support makes Melanie Charles dreamy on “Come Back as a Flower”. Deep roots and long branches.
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