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LISTEN: 'The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni' brings together a Connecticut jazz musician and an iconic American poet

“The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni” — an album featuring Connecticut saxophonist Javon Jackson — was recently released to correspond with Black History Month.

The album features Jackson playing jazz renditions of gospel hymns and spirituals hand-picked by Giovanni. The 78-year-old poet makes a rare vocal performance.

“Gospel spirituals, as I like to categorize them, speak to the story of America,” said Jackson.

Javon Jackson is a former member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and director of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford. Nikki Giovanni is a renowned poet, activist and educator. She’s a Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the first person to receive the Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award.

Connecticut Public Radio’s Diane Orson produced this audio essay.

Listen: 'The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni' brings together a Connecticut jazz musician and an iconic American poet

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a longtime reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here and Now; and The World from PRX. She spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.