Synopses & Reviews
Read by LeVar Burton
6 cassettes/ 9 hours
Continuing in the tradition of their previous, critically acclaimed collaborations, Ken Burns and Geoffrey Ward now bring us the history of the quintessential and first indigenous American music. This dynamic and powerful narrative is brought to life by the remarkable men and women who have made their mark on the music and left a lasting imprint on our culture. In words, we meet these larger-than-life personalities, including Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bix Biederbecke, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sara Vaughan, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, and many more. Essays by Winton Marsalis, Dan Morgenstern, Gerald Early, Stanley Crouch, and Gary Giddins put the evolution of jazz in historical and cultural context. Jazz, like the music itself is an exploration of the American experience.
Synopsis
Best of the Best. The magnificent companion audiobook to the 12-hour PBS television series brings listeners the history of the quintessential and first indigenous American music. "Jazz", like the music itself, is an exploration and celebration of the American experience by the award-winning team responsible for "The Civil War" and "Baseball". Abridged.
About the Author
Geoffrey C. Ward is the author of 11 books, including
A First-Class Temperament, which won the 1989 National Books Critics Cirlce Award and the 1990 Francis Parkman Prize. He has written for numerous documentary films, including
The Civil War, Baseball, The West, and
Not for Ourselves Alone, and is a frequent magazine contributor. He lives in New York City.
Ken Burns, founder of Florentine Films, is a director, producer, and writer who has been making documentaries for more than 15 years. His landmark film, The Civil War, is the highest-rated series in the history of American public television, and his work has received or been nominated for Grammy, Emmy, and Academy Awards, among others. He lives in Walpole, New Hampshire.