Indianapolis Recorder
Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will host “Testify! Sharing God’s Story Through Black Christian Arts” on Wednesday, July 9. The free event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Bethel Cathedral African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
NBA News & Fearless Dialogues
Entering its fourth year, the NBA Foundation’s NBA HBCU Fellowship Program offers career development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Over a 10-week summer internship, fellows work with NBA teams and league offices in departments such as ticket sales, corporate partnerships, IT, social responsibility, marketing and more.
Renovaré (Podcast)
Musician and theologian Julian Davis Reid talks with Nate on Life With God about the invitations of Scripture and Black music to receive God’s rest — and to help others rest — while living in the tension of a world where so much is still not right.
The New York Times
To make that context [of violence and protests] clear for listeners, Collier wove broadcast news excerpts into the finished album, “The World Is on Fire,” out Oct. 18. The aesthetic choice plays out powerfully on tracks like one named after Arbery, which opens with a CBS report blended with a somber chord progression from the pianist Julian Davis Reid. Later in the piece, police sirens wail in the background as Collier’s alto solo reaches a torrential climax, backed by the drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode’s seismic rolls and cymbal crashes.
UK Jazz News
Like its immediate predecessor, The Almighty, The World is On Fire features the Chosen Few: pianist Julian Davis Reid, bassist Jeremiah Hunt, and drummer Michael Ode. Links to purchase The World is On Fire, and to Collier’s website, can be found at the end of this article.
Block Club Chicago
The members of the Chosen Few — pianist Julian Davis Reid, bassist Jeremiah Hunt, and drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode — dive into Collier’s compositions like vacationers descending on a buffet. The fervor of the players and the positivity of the lyrics sung by Collier and guest Dee Alexander evoke spiritual jazz, but his concept for the album is more grounded.
Block Club Chicago
The members of the Chosen Few — pianist Julian Davis Reid, bassist Jeremiah Hunt, and drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode — dive into Collier’s compositions like vacationers descending on a buffet. The fervor of the players and the positivity of the lyrics sung by Collier and guest Dee Alexander evoke spiritual jazz, but his concept for the album is more grounded.
Chicago Reader
“This is something that speaks to metaphorically being set ablaze in all aspects of it,” Collier says. “Mentally and spiritually, emotionally, this is on fire. I mean, we’re losing ozone layer here. We’re losing colors in the UV spectrum because of the stuff that’s going on. This planet is warming up as we speak.” Collier describes The World Is on Fire as a record about priorities, and he made sure that his bandmates—bassist Jeremiah Hunt, drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode, and pianist Julian Davis Reid—brought their best to the recordings. That often meant confronting injustices and calamities on a personal level.
Sojourners
Meet Julian Davis Reid
Bold Journey
Evanston Round Table
How Jazz Teaches Faith & Justice / Julian Reid & The JuJu Exchange
Yale Center for Faith & Culture
Album Review of The JuJu Exchange’s First Project, “Exchange”
Notes of Rest, A Musical Mini-Retreat
Church Anew
