Dec 14 Watch 2:05 Remembering Nancy Wilson, singer with dazzling style Singer Nancy Wilson has died at the age of 81. Wilson -- who was also a civil rights activist who marched in Selma -- released more than 60 albums in a career spanning five decades, winning three Grammys and scoring… Continue watching
Jul 13 Watch 8:05 Lost recordings uncover John Coltrane's timeless talent By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The lost recordings of jazz titan John Coltrane have been rediscovered and shared with the world. Jeffrey Brown visits the jazz great’s recording studio where the mystery began to take a listen to "Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album,"… Continue watching
Apr 19 Watch 3:36 Why artists are responsible for moving society forward Composer and artist Samora Abayomi Pinderhughes wants to make music that makes listeners live differently. Pinderhughes gives his Brief but Spectacular take on his responsibility as an artist. Continue watching
Mar 03 Watch 7:39 Female jazz musicians raise their voices against sexism By Ivette Feliciano, Zachary Green At this year’s Winter Jazzfest in New York, one of the world’s biggest jazz festivals, women took center stage in more ways than one. In a year when more than a third of the festival’s acts had female bandleaders --… Continue watching
Jan 23 Watch 3:26 Remembering Hugh Masekela, master musician who fought for South African freedom By Jeffrey Brown Over the course of his six-decade career, Hugh Masekela’s jazz and anti-apartheid activism made him a beloved international figure. In exile, he used his music as a form of activism to call for Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and freedom… Continue watching
Oct 19 WATCH: Trombone Shorty joins a 'second line' in New Orleans By Anne Azzi Davenport Trombone Shorty said he always makes a point of dropping by his old neighborhood when he stops home from his tours. Continue reading
Jul 14 Watch 7:00 Why Copenhagen is becoming the jazz capital of the world By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Jan 24 Watch 'La La Land' gets nostalgic for classic Hollywood musicals By PBS News Hour Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz musician, begin a love affair, but the stresses of the spotlight take a toll on their relationship. That’s the story “La La Land,” a modern movie musical about beating the odds that… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 2:45 Jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd on his lifelong intoxication with music By Frank Carlson For the latest installment in our music series, the NewsHour’s Frank Carlson caught up with jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Lloyd reflects on his lifelong love of music, his childhood in the musical haven of Memphis and why he believes jazz… Continue watching
Dec 06 Watch 6:37 The 'white heat' and vulnerability of improvisational jazz By PBS News Hour What is improvisational jazz all about? Saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau agree that the answer is vulnerability. Their musical genre requires players to follow one another’s lead -- often letting another performer dictate the musical conversation. Jeffrey Brown… Continue watching