Jazz. Episode five, Swing, pure pleasure / a a film by Ken Burns ; written by Geoffrey C. Ward ; produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ; [a production of Florentine Films and WETA, Washington D.C. in association with BBC].
Publisher:
PBS,
Copyright Date:
2017
Description:
1 videodisc (approx. 90 min.) : sound, color and black and white ; 4 3/4 in.
Special features: spectacular motion menus; 52 special music information cards. Commentary (in order of appearance): Albert Murray, James Lincoln Collier, Gerald Early, Gary Giddens, James Maher, Lorraine Gordon, Wynton Marsalis, Msgr. John Sanders, Artie Shaw, Dave Brubeck, Harry "Sweeets" Edison, Joya Sherrill, Milt Hinton, Jimmy Rowles, Helen Oakley Dance, Lionel Hampton, Margo Jefferson, Stan Levey, Norma Miller, Frankie Manning ; narrated by Keith David.
Summary:
In the mid 1930s, as the Great Depression refuses to lift, Benny Goodman finds himself hailed as the "King of Swing" and becomes the first white bandleader to hire black musicians. He has a host of rivals, among them Chick Webb, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford, Glen Miller and Artie Shaw. Louis Armstrong heads a big band of his own, while Duke Ellington continues his independent course, but great black artists still can't eat or sleep in many of the hotels where they perform. Billie Holiday emerges from a childhood of tragedy to begin her career as the greatest of all female jazz singers.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.