"Come Sunday", from Duke Ellington's 1943 jazz symphony entitled, Black Brown and Beige, is one of those moments at the mountaintop of music. Featuring the great Mahalia Jackson, the piece is rarified in every possible way; the performance, arrangement, lyric and melody are all awesomely beautiful. And while the recording that I found on YouTube is fine, it should be heard in the best possible version for its full appreciation.

As I was listening to it again, the thought occurred to me that much of the greatest American culture is overlooked, and that the music of artists like Ellington and Jackson should be an integral part of what young people are taught in today's schools. In my experience, students respond with the greatest interest when they are presented with the best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLXYK6n8PQ4&feature=fvst