Jazz musicians honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a concert at Northern Illinois University.
The songs were upbeat at NIU’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall to celebrate the holiday.
John Grzywa said King’s legacy still matters. “I think it’s important just to kind of show that you can achieve things peacefully without getting violent," he said.
The jazz concert started with the Oliver Nelson song, "The Artists' Rightful Place" from the album "The Kennedy Dream."
Mardra Thomas is a jazz vocalist. She sang the song "Come Sunday" by Duke Ellington.
“Lord of love. God almighty," she sang.
Thomas said there are ways to keep the dream alive.
“If we would embrace our community as a family as a village then I think we can help each other," she said.
The concert ended with Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday song which was dedicated to Dr. King.