Performance Listing

Violinist Diane Monroe and her jazz quartet, along with guest vocalist Paul Jost and guitarist Monnette Sudley, will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through song, reviving passionate music from the Civil Rights Movement at the Lyric Theatre on Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.

The performance, which is part of Virginia Tech’s 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, is presented by the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech in partnership with the university’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

“What is This Thing Called Freedom? The Transforming and Timeless Songs of Protest,” will feature perennial pieces from artists such as Bob Dylan (“Blowin’ in the Wind”), Joni Mitchell (“The Fiddle and the Drum”), Billie Holiday (“Strange Fruit”), and Billy Taylor (“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”).

Protest songs embrace many different genres of music including jazz, folk, and rock, and have lasting relevance.  Monroe has handpicked and arranged the music for the project and, along with her accompanying musicians and vocalist, will reinvent these songs through the lens of modern jazz.