Anthony Branker & Word Play - The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite (2014)

For his sixth recording on Origin Records, composer Anthony Branker has enlisted a powerhouse version of his Word Play group, featuring saxophonists David Binney and Ralph Bowen, trombonist Conrad Herwig, pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Kenny Davis, drummer Donald Edwards, conguero Renato Thoms, vocalist Alison Crockett, as well as sixteen 5th Grade students from Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary in Piscataway, New Jersey providing spoken word contributions. With music inspired by personal reflections on what America means to him as a first-generation American; what it has meant to family members who immigrated to the U.S. from the West Indies; and what it might mean to future generations of his family, Branker has created a twelve-movement extended work that is reflective of the qualities he sees as comprising the essence of America and the spirit of its people. Another impressive and inspiring work from the pen of this thought-provoking composer.

David Binney - alto saxophone
Ralph Bowen - tenor & soprano saxophones, flute
Conrad Herwig - trombone
Jim Ridl - piano & fender Rhodes
Kenny Davis - acoustic & electric bass
Donald Edwards - drums
Renato Thoms - congas
Alison Crockett - vocals & spoken word
Anthony Branker - composer & musical director