Jazz : A Film By Ken Burns
from: PBS Paramount
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JAZZ is a ten-part nearly nineteen-hour documentary series that celebrates America's greatest original art form a music whose improvisational spirit perfectly reflects the nation that gave it birth. It is the first television series ever to tell the story of jazz. Beginning with the birth of jazz at the dawn of the Twentieth Century the film incorporates the wide range of American culture and historical events that interact directly with the music: among them the harsh racial polarization of the 1890s; the artistic and political ferment of the Harlem Renaissance; the exuberance of the Jazz Age; the Great Depression and the New Deal; the Second World War; the emergence of a youth culture in the 1950s and 1960s; the hope anger and expectations of the civil rights movement; and the search for identity and authenticity in the 1970s 1980s and 1990s.DVD Features: Featurette: "Making of Jazz"Additional Scenes: Three full length performances not seen in the filmPlaylist information for over 500 songs Music and Photo creditsSystem Requirements: Running Time 1140 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 841887051255 Manufacturer No: 705125
Amazon.com essential video:
Accompanied by a menagerie of products, Ken Burns's expansive 10-episode paean, Jazz, completes his trilogy on American culture, following The Civil War and Baseball. Spanning more than 19 hours, Jazz is, of course, about a lot more than what many have called America's classical music--especially in episodes 1 through 7. It's here that Burns unearths precious visual images of jazz musicians and hangs historical narratives around the music with convincing authority. Time can stand still as images float past to the sound of grainy vintage jazz, and the drama of a phonograph needle being placed on Louis Armstrong's celestial "West End Blues" is nearly sublime.
The film is also potent in arguing that the history of race in the 20th-century U.S. is at jazz's heart. But a few problems arise. First is Burns's reliance on Wynton Marsalis as his chief musical commentator. Marsalis might be charming and musically expert, but he's no historian. For the film to devote three of its episodes to the 1930s, one expects a bit more historical substance. Also, Jazz condenses the period of 1961 to the present into one episode, glossing over some of the music's giant steps. Burns has said repeatedly that he didn't know much about jazz when he began this project. So perhaps Jazz, for all its glory, would better be called Jazz: What I've Learned Since I Started Listening (And I Haven't Gotten Much Past 1961). For those who are already passionate about jazz, the film will stoke debate (and some derision, together with some reluctant praise). But for everyone else, it will amaze and entertain and kindle a flame for some of the greatest music ever dreamed. --Andrew Bartlett
JAZZ is a ten-part nearly nineteen-hour documentary series that celebrates America's greatest original art form a music whose improvisational spirit perfectly reflects the nation that gave it birth. It is the first television series ever to tell the story of jazz. Beginning with the birth of jazz at the dawn of the Twentieth Century the film incorporates the wide range of American culture and historical events that interact directly with the music: among them the harsh racial polarization of the 1890s; the artistic and political ferment of the Harlem Renaissance; the exuberance of the Jazz Age; the Great Depression and the New Deal; the Second World War; the emergence of a youth culture in the 1950s and 1960s; the hope anger and expectations of the civil rights movement; and the search for identity and authenticity in the 1970s 1980s and 1990s.DVD Features: Featurette: "Making of Jazz"Additional Scenes: Three full length performances not seen in the filmPlaylist information for over 500 songs Music and Photo creditsSystem Requirements: Running Time 1140 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 841887051255 Manufacturer No: 705125
Amazon.com essential video:
Accompanied by a menagerie of products, Ken Burns's expansive 10-episode paean, Jazz, completes his trilogy on American culture, following The Civil War and Baseball. Spanning more than 19 hours, Jazz is, of course, about a lot more than what many have called America's classical music--especially in episodes 1 through 7. It's here that Burns unearths precious visual images of jazz musicians and hangs historical narratives around the music with convincing authority. Time can stand still as images float past to the sound of grainy vintage jazz, and the drama of a phonograph needle being placed on Louis Armstrong's celestial "West End Blues" is nearly sublime.
The film is also potent in arguing that the history of race in the 20th-century U.S. is at jazz's heart. But a few problems arise. First is Burns's reliance on Wynton Marsalis as his chief musical commentator. Marsalis might be charming and musically expert, but he's no historian. For the film to devote three of its episodes to the 1930s, one expects a bit more historical substance. Also, Jazz condenses the period of 1961 to the present into one episode, glossing over some of the music's giant steps. Burns has said repeatedly that he didn't know much about jazz when he began this project. So perhaps Jazz, for all its glory, would better be called Jazz: What I've Learned Since I Started Listening (And I Haven't Gotten Much Past 1961). For those who are already passionate about jazz, the film will stoke debate (and some derision, together with some reluctant praise). But for everyone else, it will amaze and entertain and kindle a flame for some of the greatest music ever dreamed. --Andrew Bartlett
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Politically Correct and Remarkably Narrow
If they ever create an American Idol Show for jazz, Ken Burns and Wynton Marsalis should be front and center as judges.This documentary does about as much for jazz as "Idol" does for popular music.... it warps jazz from its free-flowing nature into a biased, personal opinion from Mr. Marsalis, who pontificates with the blessings of Mr. Burns, who in turn admittedly does not know much about jazz.Talk about riding on your name instead of hard work.This 19 hour letdown has time to feature the ... Read More
Rating: 
- Highly slanted history of Jazz
I've watched this twice now on PBS, and I'll give it two stars for production values and covering Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. It doesn't get any additional stars, as it virtually ignores too many pivotal jazz fiqures from the 50's to the present. Three episodes on swing is too much. Spend your money on cd's, the Jazz Icon series of live performances on DVD, the Jazz 101 book, the movie Round Midnight, or the Legends of Jazz DVD set instead.
It's not that I don't like Ken Burns ... Read More
Rating: 
- Jazz History
This is a fun introduction to the history of jazz.This series is not the last word on jazz.It focuses alot on the "life and times" of jazz, but that is what the average viewer will enjoy.Ken Burns knows his audience.
For those people who are real jazz fans, there is plenty of more recorded material to listen to and books to read to further their knowledge and enjoyment.I agree that Wynton Marsalis is conservative in his approach.I would also agree that the series itself largely ... Read More
Rating: 
- JAZZ - a historical view
The scope of this fascinating documentary is wast; it can be defined as a rich historical look into jazz, with emphasis on earlier periods, with intense socio-cultural, economical and political comments. This said, I can very well understand why some disagree with the deemphasis on avant-garde and the huge emphasis on Louis Armstrong and swing era... (actually, I completely agree with Burns' and Marsalis' deemphasis on fusion).
There are some magnificent images and sounds, performances and ... Read More
Rating: - Where are the Guitars?
I enjoyed the history of the horn based jazz moment thru the '30s. But Burns hires talking heads who do not think that "real" jazz ever used electric instruments or goes beyond horns and piano.
When the guitar of Charlie Christian arrived as a lead instrument in jazz in the late '30s, it needed and had a small electric pickup. Thus it is completely ignored as being relevant in jazz, to Burns and his stooges. All the wonderful guitarists since Christian are also ignored, acoustic and electric. ... Read More
- Politically Correct and Remarkably NarrowIf they ever create an American Idol Show for jazz, Ken Burns and Wynton Marsalis should be front and center as judges.This documentary does about as much for jazz as "Idol" does for popular music.... it warps jazz from its free-flowing nature into a biased, personal opinion from Mr. Marsalis, who pontificates with the blessings of Mr. Burns, who in turn admittedly does not know much about jazz.Talk about riding on your name instead of hard work.This 19 hour letdown has time to feature the ... Read More
- Highly slanted history of JazzI've watched this twice now on PBS, and I'll give it two stars for production values and covering Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. It doesn't get any additional stars, as it virtually ignores too many pivotal jazz fiqures from the 50's to the present. Three episodes on swing is too much. Spend your money on cd's, the Jazz Icon series of live performances on DVD, the Jazz 101 book, the movie Round Midnight, or the Legends of Jazz DVD set instead.
It's not that I don't like Ken Burns ... Read More
- Jazz HistoryThis is a fun introduction to the history of jazz.This series is not the last word on jazz.It focuses alot on the "life and times" of jazz, but that is what the average viewer will enjoy.Ken Burns knows his audience.
For those people who are real jazz fans, there is plenty of more recorded material to listen to and books to read to further their knowledge and enjoyment.I agree that Wynton Marsalis is conservative in his approach.I would also agree that the series itself largely ... Read More
- JAZZ - a historical viewThe scope of this fascinating documentary is wast; it can be defined as a rich historical look into jazz, with emphasis on earlier periods, with intense socio-cultural, economical and political comments. This said, I can very well understand why some disagree with the deemphasis on avant-garde and the huge emphasis on Louis Armstrong and swing era... (actually, I completely agree with Burns' and Marsalis' deemphasis on fusion).
There are some magnificent images and sounds, performances and ... Read More
- Where are the Guitars?I enjoyed the history of the horn based jazz moment thru the '30s. But Burns hires talking heads who do not think that "real" jazz ever used electric instruments or goes beyond horns and piano.
When the guitar of Charlie Christian arrived as a lead instrument in jazz in the late '30s, it needed and had a small electric pickup. Thus it is completely ignored as being relevant in jazz, to Burns and his stooges. All the wonderful guitarists since Christian are also ignored, acoustic and electric. ... Read More
