f the spirit of modern America were translated into music, that music would be jazz. For acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, jazz is the purest expression of American democracy, a music built on individualism and compromise, independence and cooperation. In ten luminous episodes, Jazz recounted the lives and work of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and dozens of other innovators who refashioned this dynamic music to the tempo of their times. Six years in the making, Jazz brought together 75 interviews, 500 cuts of music, 2,500 still photographs and 2,000 archival film clips as it traveled from New Orleans to Chicago, from Harlem to Swing Street, from Kansas City's juke joints to Pacific coast coffee houses, to revel in the creative spirit that has made jazz America's greatest cultural achievement. In telling the story of America's great art form, Burns and co-producing public television station WETA in Washington, D.C., gave PBS viewers a blazing portrait of America's tumultuous history, its phenomenal diversity, and its singular contribution to humanity's capacity for artistic expression. Jazz struck a chord with America as public television stations made Jazz the centerpiece of a whole range of concerts, locally produced broadcasts and other special events for their communities.

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"Jazz is the story of a million nights when, against all odds, men and women of all colors, endowed with extraordinary gifts, came together and made great art. It is a history of genius, invention, and heroic action --an epic tale that mirrors the trials and triumphs of the United States in the 20th century. As I traveled across the country to Jazz events that public television stations hosted, I could see that the history of jazz is still being written with the energy and artistry of our generation's musicians." -- Ken Burns Director Jazz

"KCTS wanted to expand the Jazz experience to include live music, so we partnered with Seattle's interactive Experience Music Project museum to sponsor a series of concerts. Then we created a Jazz content area on our station Web site that directed the public to the live jazz events in our community and provided a portal to great local resources -- including Seattle/Tacoma public radio station KPLU's Web site, the leading Web site in the world for streaming jazz." -- Tim Olson Interactive Director KCTS, Seattle, Washington

hen Lady Day sang the blues, time stopped and America heard its own heart beat. Billie Holiday's life story forms one of the many chapters of Ken Burns' ten-part documentary on the music that carried our nation through high times and hard times. As it explored the soaring artistic achievements of jazz's legendary figures, this landmark PBS series carried viewers on a journey through the American cultural landscape to discover our nation's modern history, culture and ideals.