In his capacity as a faculty member of The Hartt School and director of its Jackie McClean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford, saxophonist Javon Jackson invited activist, educator, and poet Nikki Giovanni to speak to students in February 2020. When she’d finished her talk, she heard Steal Away, the Hank Jones/Charlie Haden album of hymns and spirituals, one of this household’s favorites, playing in the auditorium. She wanted to hear more of it, which gave Jackson the idea to do an album of hymns and spirituals. He asked Giovanni to select 10 tunes, and she sent him the selections a few days later. The result is The Gospel according to Nikki Giovanni, whose healing powers testify to the songs’ enduring capacity to refresh the soul.
