We heard someone grumble, “We’ve never heard jazz in church before.” It reminds us of an insulting letter from a noted preacher, disparaging jazz as inferior music. Both assume there’s a hard line between “sacred” and “secular” that must never be crossed. But jazz steps over those divisions.
Bach dedicated his musical manuscripts to God, even if they had no lyrics. Dave Brubeck reminds us how Bach, his favorite musician, adapted drinking songs because the congregation knew them. The Holy can find us anywhere, on bar stool or church pew. Some musicians affirm they’ve been found, and the best evidence may be the Christmas story, when the Holy is found on earth. So we offer a burning version of a jazz Christmas carol. It will melt the icicles of the coldest heart!
Featured music: “Joy to the World” from Jazz Noel, The Presbybop Christmas Eve Band
Theme music: "All Thumbs" from Faith in a New Key, Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet
Music used by permission from Presbybop Music (BMI)
Announcer: Chris Norton
(c) Presbybop Music