Aruán Ortiz feat. Don Byron and Pheeroan akLaff - Pastor's Paradox

2023

60 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his signature “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The content, structure and power of King’s words serve as a fundamental inspiration for Pastor’s Paradox, the stirring new album by Cuban-born, Brooklyn-based pianist, composer and conceptualist Aruán Ortiz. The album features a stellar lineup of players including clarinetist Don Byron, cellists Lester St. Louis and Yves Dhar,drummer Pheeroan akLaff, and spoken word artist Mtume Gant.

Pastor’s Paradox shares many of King’s themes, including racial equality, but also reflects Ortiz’s singular artistry. To write his enthralling suite, Ortiz studied King’s Biblical and world history references, the speech’s construction, and the pacing and vocal dynamics that give King’s words such power and momentum. “’I Have a Dream’ is one of the masterpieces in the history of speeches,” says Ortiz. “I studied that speech from different angles, particularly his use of analogies and how he integrated different aspects of literature into his message. It’s amazing when you analyze its structure.” In addition to studying the structure, analogies and literary references of the “I Have a Dream” speech, Ortiz delved into King’s 1968 speech “The Drum Major Instinct,” delivered five years after the March on Washington and two months before King’s assassination, as his pursuit of racial socio-economic justice became more radical and he spoke out against the Vietnam War.