We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite by the Fresh Cut Orchestra

A timely restaging of We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite, a seminal recording from the civil rights era. The piece was performed by the NYC / Philadelphia-based ensemble Fresh Cut Orchestra with vocalist Melanie Charles. Recorded in the fall of 1960, the Freedom Now Suite was the most openly political jazz recording ever made, combining musical prowess with political dialogue. Nearly 60 years later, the issues posed by We Insist! are still relevant to our current political moment.

This event was presented as a part of Come Hear North Carolina, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources and the North Carolina Arts Council. Additional support was provided by UNC Asheville.