It’s spring here in New York, and May is usually filled with flowers, but few of mine are blooming yet. I walked out into my garden this week, looking at the winter damage which I’ve not yet repaired. A version of an old refrain, often incorrectly attributed to Ogden Nash, echoed in my head: “Spring has sprung and the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is?”
I decided I’d have to celebrate my spring and the not-yet-blossomed flowers with music. I waltzed around to the sound of Freddie Hubbard’s “Up Jumped Spring,” which brightened a gray and cloudy day, and went digging through my music collection to find more tunes on spring, and flowers to lift my spirits.
I hope they will lift yours.
Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music. With over 150 stories (and counting) covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack, I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.