A cold, rainy Wednesday welcomed the beginning of the Rialto Center for the Art’s Martin Luther King Jr. tribute. Through the pounding of the raindrops and splashing of tires against the street, beautiful music could be heard along Luckie Street. The music was presented by Paul Anderson and Xavier Scott, a pianist and saxophonist, respectively.
A mixed crowd of students, senior citizens and various members of the Atlanta community enjoyed an opening number by pianist Paul Anderson. Xavier Scott, an Atlanta native in his own right, blessed the audience with a heartfelt tribute including covers of “We Shall Overcome” and “Love” by Musiq Soulchild.
He showered listeners with lighthearted anecdotes between his numbers, explaining the honor he felt performing in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Scott has been playing the saxophone for 30 years, his favorite being the soprano. Scott explained the joy he feels when he sees all of the hard work put in during practice pay off, watching the looks on listeners faces. He also explained how he believes King’s dream is being realized today, although he believes Atlanta needs more community leaders to take charge.
