Monty Alexander: In his own words ...
on Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song'

NOTES:

Duration: 1:28
Add approx  1:00 for intro/outro

INTRO: 

When Bob Marley sang "Redemption Song" with his acoustic guitar, it sounded less like reggae than like a kind of spriritual.

Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander's recent CD, "Rocksteady," closes with an instrumental version of the song. This is how he describes Marley's music of enslavement ... and liberation ...

TAPE IN:  (starts with music)  "Redemption Song, that song written by Bob Marley ...."

TAPE OUT: Ends with :08 music tail
Last spoken words:  "...is almost like a hymn."

OUTRO: 

Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander, with the music of Bob Marley .... "Redemption Song." 

[It was one of Marley's last songs, and he performed it on his final concert. Rita Marley has said ... "There was a feeling of a whole era coming to a climax. Everyone felt he knew something was going to happen."]

We heard from Monty Alexander as  part of "Musicians in their own 
words," produced by David Schulman and supported by 
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  

[Monty Alexander will be  performing with his band on DATE 
at VENUE in CITY. ]

ALTERNATE CREDIT LANGUAGE, IF READ AT END OF HOUR:

"'Musicians in their own words'' is produced by David
Schulman and supported by the Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting."

Background and programming suggestions:

Monty Alexander's version of "Redemption Song" closes his most recent CD, "Rocksteady." 
"Redemption Song" originally appeared on Bob Marley's "Uprising" album, in 1980. A live version from his final concert on Sept 23, 1980, is on "Songs of Freedom." 

Within music programming, this feature would work well paired with one of Marley's versions of the song and/or with Alexander's version.

Within a magazine show, this feature would work well as a brief coda following a longer feature on topics such as civil rights, the legacy of slavery, gospel music and spirituals, Bob Marley, reggae, or current events in Jamaica.