Marsalis gets political on new CD

[spindrifter]

On Wynton Marsalis' upcoming CD, he criticizes political leadership in America, cultural corruption and sex and violence in rap -- and that's just on one song.

"From the Plantation to the Penitentiary" is due out March 6. Marsalis calls it his most political album in years.

"It's been in my mind for a while. Every decade I like to do one piece that has that kind of social involvement with American culture," he said.

But a look at some of the lyrics shows Marsalis is disenchanted with that culture. "The Return of Romance" appears to take rappers to task, accusing them of being modern-day minstrels with "song-less tunes"; "Super Capitalism" chastises those obsessed with materialistic goals; and "Where Y'all At," among other things, criticizes '60s radicals and idealists who have lost their revolutionary slant.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/people/294395_people02.html

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. I always thought of Marsalis as a straight-up instrumental guy. How long has he actually

been singing on albums?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. I thought the same,

how do you get political with a trumpet?