“America the Beautiful” As I’ve Never Heard It

As an avid listener and supporter of public radio, I learn something new every day. (I actually learn many new things on a daily basis listening to NPR.)

Beyond getting news, one of the gifts of NPR is becoming enlightened to people, ideas and perspectives I’d never heard of or merely never considered. Along with being informed, I’ve been delighted, been amused, become enraged, been inspired and even brought to tears.

On Terry Gross’s September 11th episode of Fresh Air, she interviewed Bob Woodward for his new book Fear: Trump in the White House. I just got around to listening to it this morning. Terry’s conversation with Woodward about his findings in writing the book provoked a lot of feelings in me – mostly anger and sadness about what’s happening.

Against the backdrop of the interview and the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the load of feelings that carries, Terry ended the show with an instrumental version of “America the Beautiful” I’d never heard. It was performed by the late jazz bassist Charlie Haden, who recorded this version in 2002. It made me cry.