A Powerful Reimagining of The Max Roach & Abbey Lincoln Track From The 1960 Groundbreaking Album We Insist!

Listen HERE

Today, four-time GRAMMY-winning jazz icon Terri Lyne Carrington and GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Christie Dashiell release “Freedom Day (Part 1),” their vibrant reimagining of Max Roach’s timeless anthem “Freedom Day.” The single highlights Carrington’s lifelong mission to champion jazz and advocate for inclusivity. The single is out now via Candid Records, listen here. 

“Freedom Day (Part 1)” is a dynamic tribute to the 1960 Max Roach and Oscar Brown Jr. composition, from the groundbreaking album We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite. Written to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, the album stands as a defining artistic statement of the Black American civil rights movement. With a career defining performance by the incomparable Abbey Lincoln, it is one of the most powerful and enduring statements of music as protest

The 2025 arrangement breathes new life into the track, blending Carrington’s signature drumming and production skills with Dashiell’s soulful vocals and an all-star ensemble featuring Morgan Guerin (bass, woodwinds), Milena Casado (trumpet, electronics), Matthew Stevens (guitar), and Simon Moullier (vibes). The result is a dynamic interpretation that honors the original’s revolutionary spirit, while echoing a social justice message which remains poignant as ever today.  Advertisement

Reflecting on Max Roach’s influence, Carrington shares, “he has always been an important person and influence in my life. Max was an innovator that brought the drums to the forefront in jazz—away from having just an accompanying role. He was a leader by nature—more than just in music—and helped me to see the importance of being a total musician because he composed, arranged, and dreamt up big ideas.”

Six decades later, the lyrics of “Freedom Day” still strongly resonate, with Dashiell beautifully delivering stirring lines like: 

Slave no longer, slave no longer, this is Freedom Day.
Freedom Day, it’s Freedom Day. Throw those shackle n’ chains away.
Everybody that I see says it’s really true, we’re free.

Christie Dashiell, who “possesses a sumptuously rich timbre, a powerful storytelling gift and the ability to craft songs which lodge immediately in the heart,” (Jazzwise) adds smooth layers and emotional depth to the track. The single is a testament to Carrington’s visionary artistry and her commitment to using music as a platform for social justice. As an NEA Jazz Master and founder of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, she has long been a trailblazer in reshaping the narrative of jazz and creating space for underrepresented voices. This is the second Candid Records release from Carrington since her critically acclaimed album, New STANDARDS Vol. 1, which was celebrated by NPR, Billboard, The Guardian, Stereogum, Jazziz, and the Boston Globe for its bold sound and groundbreaking ambition, and won the GRAMMY AWARD for Best Instrumental Jazz Album in 2023. Advertisement