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Spirituals were African-American religious folksongs that grew out of the slavery experience and the introduction of Christianity into slaves’ lives. Rooted in African musical tradition as well, they reflected life in a strange and terribly oppressive new world. They were often improvisations upon older hymns that became entirely new songs, and in some ways they foreshadow the birth of American jazz. In this program we’ll hear jazz interpretations of spirituals by John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Grant Green, Louis Armstrong, Archie Shepp with Horace Parlan, and more. “Jazz, Spiritually Speaking” airs Saturday, May 17 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU, at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN, and at 10 p.m. EST Sunday evening on Michigan’s Blue Lake Public Radio. You can learn more about spirituals here and here. The program is already posted for online listening in the Night Lights archives.