Friday Nite Videos -- Dec 20, 2013 (Alt-Xmas Music, Part II)

Woody Guthrie's Jesus Christ. Playing for Change's Low Down Dirty Christmas. Jesus: The Missing Years. The Barcelona Gypsy Klezmer Orchestra's Shalom Alechem. Movie: The Gospel According to St. Matthew.

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[Our times present big challenges, and they cry out for music that embodies the sweep of religious prophecy, what with money changers in charge, the potential for nuclear Armageddon, the AIDS plague, and looming climate catastrophe. But Christmas music is mostly jingles again -- annoyingly, cloyingly vacuous. So let's disturb the Selling Season with some earthy alternative musical interpretations -- Alt-Xmas Music Part II. (And go here for Part I.) Enjoy. -- moderator]

Woody Guthrie's Jesus Christ

Woody Guthrie's Jesus is a working man ('a carpenter by hand'), an itinerant, and a radical ('sell all of your jewelry and give it to the poor').

 

Low Down Dirty Christmas

The Playing for Change Band presents a new holiday video, “Low Down Dirty Christmas,” recorded live outside Sao Paolo. Composed by Tom Canning, it reaches back to the roots of blues and soul.

 

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Jesus: The Missing Years

John Prine fills in the 18 years in the life of Jesus. France, Spain, life, pain ... a little love and shoplifting.

 

Shalom Alechem

The Barcelona Gypsy Klezmer Orchestra creates a modern interpretation of 'Shalom Alechem' in music, dance and video.

 

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

A movie (1964) by the Italian Communist Pier Paolo Pasolini, retelling the story of Jesus Christ, from birth to resurrection.