On June 19th, 160 years ago, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas. By order of Union General Gordon Granger, Order No. 3 was posted stating,
The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer
Thus began the joyful celebration that is Juneteenth, our most recent Federal Holiday. And all holidays need tunes, so I asked Jonathan Lottman, owner of Spin Time Records, online and at 613 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, to come up with a Juneteenth playlist for your listening and learning pleasure. You can find the link to the playlist here. Wondering why it’s not on Spotify? Jonathan tells me, “Spotify does not go deep enough.” I strongly suggest you pay him a visit so you can explore the sounds of the District and walk away with a new favorite (or a new turntable setup). As for me, I think I need more Osiris in my life.
Here are a few notes from Jonathan on the playlist. By the way, his favorites are “A Lovely Day,” “Where Are We Going” and “Ella’s Song.”:
1. “A Lovely Day”
Recorded ca. 1975 by then-DC residents Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson at D&B Sound in Silver Spring. “I don’t feel like believing everything I do gonna turn out wrong, when the vibrations I’m receiving say ‘hold on, brother, just you be strong’.” A radical optimism which is not only liberating in itself, but represents a power the liberators possess that their tormentors never will.
2. “Freedom Day”
Featuring DC vocalist Christie Dashiell, from “We Insist 2025”!, a tribute/update/reimagining of Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite. Evokes the joy of dawning emancipation, bounded by a healthy wariness.
3. “Compared To What”
From Roberta Flack’s debut LP, featuring a cover photo snapped at Mr. Henry’s on Capitol Hill.
4. “Where Are We Going”
From DC native Marvin Gaye; recorded in the mid-1970s (after another version was recorded by then-DC-dweller Donald Byrd), and unreleased until the 2000s. One of Gaye’s greatest, most slept-on, and stubbornly relevant tracks. “Day by day, the flames get higher–– lies and hate fuel the fire.”
5. “Look At The People”
It’s funny that DC’s Wayne Davis was a close associate and collaborator with Roberta Flack, because Quiet Storm was definitely not his thing. A blistering, baroque, funk-gospel-disco sermon from ca. 1976, warning to not be too satisfied with your own comfort, or inert in the face of injustice.
6. “War On The Bullshit”
Self-explanatory 1982 call to arms from Osiris, DC’s standard-bearers of heavy, hip-shaking funk.
7. “Ella’s Song”
An immortal and evergreen statement from DC’s Sweet Honey In The Rock. A deliberate shift in tone from the preceding martial exhortations, centering on the more subtle liberating forces of living, growing, teaching, working, and believing.
8. “Freedom Day Part 2”
Christie Dashiell reprises the Emancipation Day ode with a more upbeat, jazzy arrangement, and inspirational spoken quotations.
9. “Iwishcan William”
This relentlessly positive coda to our list is an obscure 80s outing from DC’s 3 Pieces, one of the local groups mentored by Donald Byrd during his 1970s tenure at Howard University. Influential on the DC scene, the song was worked into many of Chuck Brown’s indelible live medleys.
Want to celebrate Juneteenth in the District? There will be a huge celebration at Yards Park. RSVP here.
Learn more about Serve Your City and why it’s so important to empower and trust our community. Watch their special Juneteenth video here.
Need more resources for Juneteenth? Check out the NMAAHC’s digital toolkit here.