My Country 'Tis of Thee

Winter Jazzfest presents ‘My Country ’Tis of Thee’ — a powerful night of music, resistance, and hope. At the heart of the evening are the Freedom Riders, an all-star ensemble of youngish voices in creative music, dedicated to amplifying messages of social justice through sound including Tomoki Sanders, Alfredo Colón, Milena Casado, Sasha Berliner, Carmen Staaf, Joe Dyson and co-leaders Luke Stewart and Ben Williams (both bassists with deep roots in our nation’s capital).

This one-of-a-kind performance takes the shape of a truly improvised round robin, interweaving spontaneous creation with standard repertoire linked to the civil rights movement. Alongside these echoes of history, the Freedom Riders and their invited guests—visionary artists Arturo O’Farrill, Adegoke Steve Colson, Samora Pinderhughes, Mádé Kuti plus other special guests soon to be announced — will share current songs born from their own activist practice, underscoring the ongoing struggle for equality and freedom.