Radio Show: Memphis musicians to produce "Simple Song of Freedom"

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with music producer Mario Monterosso, who shares some of his personal background as an Italian guitarist, songwriter and producer who fell in love with Memphis music in 1982 when the rockabilly European revival started and how that led him to move to Memphis, Tennessee in 2016.

During the interview, Mario shares how he became inspired by Bobby Darin's 1969 song, Simple Song of Freedom, and how still, after almost 60 years, it is powerfully appropriate for this current moment in history. He talks about spearheading the project to unite Memphis musicians in song in a worldwide humanitarian effort and how the different puzzle pieces came together to produce the song.

Many internationally known Memphis musicians, singers and cultural organizations are supporting and part of the effort, including Priscilla Presley, Memphis Queen of Soul Carla Thomas, Kallen Esperian, Rev. Charles Hodges, Dr. Gary Beard, Dr. Keith Norman of First Baptist Church Broad, and Bar-Kays' founding member Larry Dodson. Their combined efforts and talents merged into the name Memphis Freedom Band. Mario also shares how the song will help children's hearts heal all over the world with proceeds from the song benefiting the Novick Cardiac Alliance, which is an organization headquartered in Memphis, that has been working around the world to ensure children with life threatening illnesses continue, despite war, to receive the treatment they need.

This non-political project was recorded and filmed at the renowned Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis, with Emmy Award-winning film composer and Grammy-nominated music producer, Scott Bomar, as Recording Engineer. The public is invited to the "unveiling" of the music video on December 20, 2023 from 6-8 PM at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (www.thebrooks.org/songoffreedom). Mario adds how Marie Pizano and the MVP3 Foundation and MVP3 Records have assisted him in the project and have helped release the song publicly through Select-O-Hits, an American independent record label distributor of music based in Memphis, owned by Sam W. and John Phillips, which was co-founded in 1960 by their father, Tom and uncle, Sam Phillips. Sam Phillips is the founder of the legendary Sun Records, where Elvis, Johnny Cash and many others started their careers.

Preview Simple Song of Freedom at https://orcd.co/memphisfreedomband