Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns 3 - Our Language (1924-1928) (2001)

Synopsis: TELEVISION RELEASE: JANUARY 10, 2001 (PBS). For the third part of his American Trilogy--following THE CIVIL WAR and BASEBALL--Ken Burns takes on the "that most American of art forms": jazz. The... TELEVISION RELEASE: JANUARY 10, 2001 (PBS). For the third part of his American Trilogy--following THE CIVIL WAR and BASEBALL--Ken Burns takes on the "that most American of art forms": jazz. The 10-part, 19-hour film begins with the music's roots in post-Civil War New Orleans and concludes roughly a century later. The story focuses not only on the personalities and events that helped define the music but also on the social and cultural climate in which they emerged, making KEN BURNS' JAZZ a film about more than just music. Episode Three, OUR LANGUAGE (1924-1928), looks at jazz's connection to the blues through the voices of Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. Smith, one of the most popular artists of her day, helped bring blacks into the burgeoning record industry. The episode also features white performers who, inspired by what they heard in New York and Chicago, would have a major impact on jazz: Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Bix Beiderbecke. Meanwhile, Duke Ellington has moved to Harlem's Cotton Club, where he will perfect his unique sound. And Louis Armstrong's Hot Five sessions in Chicago create the blueprint for jazz to come. Some astonishing footage and insightful commentary bring to life these seminal moments of jazz history. [More]

Starring: Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Giddins

Starring: Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Giddins, Artie Shaw, Ossie Davis, Benny Goodman, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington

Director: Ken Burns

Director: Ken Burns
Screenwriter: Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns

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