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Language
English
Description
The musical language and highly idiosyncratic style of Thelonious Monk-so avant-garde in its day-is in many ways still considered avant-garde today. This program seeks to understand Monk's innovative music by tracing the Harlem-born jazzman's career. His childhood debut as accompanist for a touring preacher, years of searching for his own style, gradual acceptance by the public who had neglected him, eventual critical acclaim as a musical genius,...
Language
English
Description
A master of swing and scat with pop/jazz crossover appeal, Ella Fitzgerald could outsing just about anyone. Her 60-year career-launched at 17 when she won an amateur singing contest at the Apollo Theater-saw her rise from a life of poverty to become an enduring icon of American music. This program, an examination of Fitzgerald's captivating music within the context of her eventful life, amply illustrates why recordings of this beloved diva continue...
Language
English
Description
A pioneer of bebop and its first spin-off, Afro-Cuban jazz, Dizzy Gillespie-with his quick wit, puffed-out cheeks, and signature bent trumpet-was also a masterful showman who succeeded in making his complex music popular with his audiences. From his roots as a self-taught trombone-turned-trumpet player, to his legendary status as the cofounder of modern jazz, to his international travels as an ambassador of jazz, this program presents the dynamic...
Language
English
Description
In February 1972, celebrated jazz musician Lee Morgan was shot dead by his common-law wife Helen during a gig at a club in New York City. The murder sent shockwaves through the jazz community, and the memory of the event still haunts those who knew the Morgans. This feature documentary by filmmaker Kasper Collin is a love letter to two unique personalities and the music that brought them together.