San Francisco Public Library

Jazz, a production of Florentine Films and WETA, Washington D.C. in association with BBC ; a film by Ken Burns ; writer, Geoffrey C. Ward ; producers, Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Episode 7

eng

videorecording

Not rated

Jazz

videorecording

45786078

a production of Florentine Films and WETA, Washington D.C. in association with BBC ; a film by Ken Burns ; writer, Geoffrey C. Ward ; producers, Ken Burns, Lynn Novick

120

When America enters WWII in 1941, swing becomes a symbol of democracy and entertainers like Dave Brubeck, Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw take their music to the armed forces overseas. In Nazi-occupied Europe, gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt blends jazz with his own musical traditions. In New York Billie Holiday is unofficial queen despite a growing addiction to narcotics. Duke Ellington, assisted by the gifted young arranger, Billy Strayhorn, brings his music to ever-greater heights. After dark a small underground of gifted young musicians led by the trumpet virtuoso Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonists Charlie Parker and Ben Webster begin to develop a new fast and intricate way of playing, developing a new music called bebop. Meanwhile in 1945, black soldiers return home to the same racism they fought against, and a growing unrest sets the seeds for future rebellions

Partial contents: Soldiers of music -- Finding each other -- Kill Jim Crow -- The street -- We need to be free -- These things can't happen

live action

Dedicated to chaos