Premiere: Joel Rafael’s Powerful Video for ‘Abraham, Martin and John,’ Off His New LP ‘Rose Avenue’

American singer/songwriter/folk musician Joel Rafael recently released a record titled Rose Avenue.

The album, Rafael’s tenth studio album after decades of work recording and performing gigs with legends including Crosby, Stills and Nash, Taj Mahal, Laura Nyro, Joan Baez, Sheryl Crow and many more, his songwriting pedigree is robust.

One of the songs on the album is titled “Abraham, Martin and John,’ and Rock Cellar is premiering its new music video. A reflective song, its video treatment speaks powerfully, as do its lyrics.

According to Rafael, he always wanted to record a version of this song but didn’t get around to it until recently:

Inspired when he saw it performed by Bob Dylan and Clydie King, Rafael asked Eliza Gilkyson to sing it with him because they grew up during the same era and took away many of the same values and feelings represented in this song written by Dick Holler in 1968.  When singing it, Rafael not only thinks of the subjects in the song, but also of others gone too soon, who championed values that make the world a better place for every one.

Said Rafael of the song in a statement:

“In this day and age, the song ‘Abraham, Martin & John,’ offers a stunning contrast between leaders assassinated for their human compassion and ideals, with authority figures who give racists and bigots a license to kill.”

The song follows the release of another video, for the song “Strong,” a collaboration between Rafael and pop/rock singer/songwriter Jason Mraz:

Per Billboard, “Strong” came about when Rafael, Mraz, “… and Michael Natter originally composed the track for a performance at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota, as part of the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests. “Jackson Browne was invited to Standing Rock and invited me to go with John Trudell’s band,” Rafael tells Billboard. 

Stream Joel Rafael’s Rose Avenue album below:

And visit his website for more details, news, and tour date information.