I want to keep the focus here on music rather than politics, but I feel it's important to acknowledge the tragedy and strife dividing our country right now.  Hearing the news lately has got me listening to Gil-Scott Heron for the first time in years.  Heron combined scathing political satire and raw heartfelt honesty like no other artist.  His music was a heady mix of jazz, funk and spoken word - he's often called the grandfather of hip-hop.  Herron has such an immense body of work that it can be hard to know where to start listening.  Here are a few suggestions.

The proto-rap of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," with an infectious bass line from legend Ron Carter, is synonymous with sixties counterculture rage.  Winter In America is a somber meditation on early 70's malaise.  While the election of Reagan had many claiming it was "Morning in America," Heron offers a different perspective on Reflections.  "Gun" and a searing cover of "Inner City Blues" take on new meaning in the Summer of 2016.  Regrettably, Heron's incisive voice was silenced when he passed away in 2011.  For anyone unfamiliar with his work, there's never been a better time to discover Gil-Scott Heron.