On 13 May at the All Souls Church in central London, an evangelistic event was held called ‘The Roots of Jazz’. It was also a musical fundraising event in support of the Christian charities A21 and Tamar, working to abolish the modern day slavery of human trafficking.
Through ‘The Roots of Jazz’ we explore how the Christian gospel has influenced and impacted the growth of Jazz music, originating from the ‘work songs’ or Gospel Spirituals of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Slavery and redemption
Host for the evening, Jonathan Herring, guided us through the timelines of two parallel stories profoundly entwined and united by the common theme of slavery and redemption. Both stories began in Africa; the history of Jazz music has its ‘roots’ deeply imbedded in American musical history.
