>>> TONIGHT, NEW YORKERS HIT THE STREETS IN PROTEST AS RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE.

THE DIRE SITUATION ON THE GROUND, HOW UKRAINIAN AMERICANS ARE STEPPING UP, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP.

"METROFOCUS" STARTS RIGHT NOW.

♪ >>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY -- ♪ >>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M RAFAEL PI ROMAN.

NEW YORK CITY IS HOME TO A VIBRANT AND HISTORIC UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY, AND ITS MEMBERS LIKE SO MANY OF YOU AT HOME ARE WATCHING IN HORROR AS RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE.

IN RESPONSE, UKRAINIAN AMERICANS AND THEIR ALLIES ARE HITTING THE STREETS IN PROTEST, INCLUDING YESTERDAY'S DEMONSTRATION IN TIMES SQUARE.

AND AS PRESIDENT BIDEN PUSHES AHEAD WITH SANCTIONS, THE FIGHT TO HELP THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE ALSO CONTINUES HERE IN THE CITY.

THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION RAZEM FOR UKRAINE, WHICH HELPED SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS WEEK'S PROTEST IS WORKING TO COORDINATE HUMANITARIAN AID, AND ITS PRESIDENT JOINS US NOW.

DORA, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO, DORA, FIRST OF ALL, AS WE SPEAK, IT LOOKS LIKE THE RUSSIANS HAVE TAKEN KYIV OR ARE ON THE VERGE OF TAKING KYIV AS RUSSIAN TROOPS CONTINUE TO ENTER UKRAINE FROM THE EAST, FROM THE NORTH, FROM THE SOUTH.

WHAT ARE THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF UKRAINIAN AMERICANS HERE IN NEW YORK CITY TELLING YOU ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, HOW IT IS FOR THEM ON THE GROUND?

>> WELL, I'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS ALREADY, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ALREADY ALL MORNING NEW YORK TIME TOGETHER WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS IN UKRAINE AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND IT'S TERRIFYING AND SURREAL AND INCREDIBLY DISTURBING.

BUT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MOBILIZE, TO DO ANYTHING WE CAN TO HELP PEOPLE IN UKRAINE -- THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD ORDER THAT WE'VE BEEN -- THE SYSTEMS OF SECURITY AND STABILITY THAT WE'VE ALL HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF LIVING WITH FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES BECAUSE NOW THAT PUTIN HAS DONE WHAT HE HAS DONE, THIS IS NO LONGER JUST ABOUT UKRAINE.

>> YEAH.

>> THIS IS ABOUT THE GLOBAL STABILITY AND OUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION AS ENTITIES UNDER RULE OF LAW.

>> HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET INTO THAT DIRECTLY IF WE HAVE TIME.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.

A LOT OF AMERICANS DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT UKRAINE.

THEY WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME EVEN FINDING IT ON THE MAP.

BUT THAT'S NOT SO MUCH THE CASE HERE IN NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE OF THAT COMMUNITY I WAS TELLING YOU.

I LIVED IN LITTLE UKRAINE FOR TEN YEARS, AND I FEEL LIKE I'M PART OF IT.

>> MM-HMM.

>> TELL US ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY, ITS LONG HISTORY.

HOW MANY UKRAINIANS LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY?

>> UKRAINIANS HAVE BEEN PART OF THE FABRIC OF NEW YORK FOR WELL OVER A CENTURY IN AN ORGANIZED WAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DOCUMENTATION OF PEOPLE BEING HERE BEFORE THEN.

I WAS BORN HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.

I'M A NATIVE NEW YORKER, BORN TO PARENTS -- BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE BORN IN WHAT IS NOW UKRAINE.

SO THE UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK SPECIFICALLY REPRESENTS SEVERAL WAVES OF IMMIGRATION.

THERE WAS A BIG WAVE IN THE 1800s WHERE PEOPLE CAME INTO THE COAL MINES.

OF COURSE EVERYONE CAME THROUGH NEW YORK AND SET UP SCHOOLS AND VARIOUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

I BELIEVE THE LONGEST CONTINUALLY RUNNING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WAS FOUNDED RIGHT HERE, "THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY."

THEN AFTER WORLD WAR II, THERE WAS A LARGE WAVE OF PEOPLE COMING FROM UNION KNOWN AS DISPLACED PERSONS.

THEY WERE REFUGEES AFTER WORLD WAR II.

THIS IS HOW MY PARENTS ARRIVED IN NORTH AMERICA AS CHILDREN AND THAT REVIVED THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN IN THE 1990s, THERE WAS ANOTHER WAVE OF PEOPLE AS THE SOVIET UNION STARTED TO DISSOLVE.

PEOPLE CAME HERE FOR WORK.

AND THEN MORE RECENTLY, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING TO WORK AT GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK AND TWITTER BECAUSE UKRAINE HAS A VERY LARGE, STRONG COMMUNITY GIVEN ITS VERY HIGH LEVEL OF EDUCATION, OF LITERACY, AND OF COURSE SCIENCE AND MATH IS EXTREMELY STRONG AMONG THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE.

SO VERY DESIRABLE WORKFORCE HAS BEEN COMING HERE.

>> THERE'S ABOUT 150,000 HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> AT LEAST.

AT LEAST.

>> YOU TALKED ABOUT A WAVE OF REFUGEES, AND THAT REMINDS ME OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR HOCHUL, JUST ANNOUNCED, WHICH IS THAT NEW YORK IS GOING TO BE WILLING TO WELCOME UKRAINIAN REFUGEES TO THE STATE AS THEY WELCOME TALIBAN REFUGEES.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DO YOU THINK THAT IS SENDING?

>> WELL, IT'S -- IT BLOWS MY MIND FRANKLY BECAUSE I GREW UP HEARING STORIES ABOUT THIS FROM MY GRANDPARENTS AT THE DINNER TABLE.

BUT I CERTAINLY DIDN'T EXPECT THAT I WOULD BE IN A POSITION AND MY TEENAGE KIDS WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO HELP MOBILIZE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE.

BUT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY I WELCOME THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT.

IT TERRIFIES ME THAT SHE HAS TO MAKE IT.

>> YEAH.

>> I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT IS SO BROAD, BECAUSE IT IS SO DIVERSE, IS RISING TO THE CHALLENGE TO HELP PEOPLE STREAM IN.

BUT IT'S -- IT'S A BIT SURREAL FOR ME, AND IT'S STRANGE.

BUT I -- LITERALLY AN HOUR AGO BEFORE WE SPOKE, I WAS ON A TEAM CALL WITH VOLUNTEERS, AND ONE PERSON HAD TO LEAVE THE CALL FOR A FEW MOMENTS BECAUSE SHE WAS JUST GETTING TOO MANY MESSAGES FROM FRIENDS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO IN UKRAINE.

PEOPLE ARE STRESSED BUT RALLYING.

AND SO I WELCOME THE GOVERNOR'S SUPPORT, AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT EVERYONE WHO CAN HELP OR WANTS TO HELP, THERE'S A LOT OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS.

>> WE'LL MAKE SURE TO TOUCH ON THAT.

>> MM-HMM.

>> BUT TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW.

I MENTIONED BRIEFLY THE PROTESTS YESTERDAY.

IF YOU COULD ELABORATE ON THAT AND WHAT OTHER ACTIONS YOU'RE TAKING, THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY IS TAKING.

>> WE'RE FOCUSED IN FOUR BROAD AREAS OF ACTIVITY.

WE ARE RESPONDING TO THE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IMMEDIATELY.

WE'RE RAISING FUNDS AND DISTRIBUTING SUPPLIES FOR MEDICAL KITS, FIRST AID KITS, TAC TACTICAL MEDICAL KITS.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING DISPLACED BY THIS, AND WE'RE PARTNER BE UP WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN UKRAINE, AND WE'LL BE PARTNERING UP WITH ORGANIZATIONS HERE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE SAFE.

SO THERE'S HUMANITARIAN WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WE'RE DOING ON THE INFORMATION FRONT, HAVING CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS ONE, DOING VARIOUS TWITTER STORMS, REALLY CALLING TO CONNECT WITH THE WORLD COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT UKRAINE IN STOPPING PUTIN'S AGGRESSION AND SUSTAINING STABILITY FOR THE WORLD.

SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK AROUND THAT.

WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK ORGANIZATIONALLY TO MAINTAIN THE ROBUSTNESS OF OUR ORGANIZATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEER, BUT EVEN IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, WE HAVE HAD TO CONTEND WITH VARIOUS BLOCKS AND THINGS THAT ARE MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO THE WORK.

>> THE RUSSIANS ARE HACKING.

THEY HACKED YOU, RIGHT?

>> WELL, WE DON'T KNOW WHO.

YOU NEVER KNOW.

THAT'S JUST IT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THINGS ARE SLOW AND NOT WORKING, AND SOMETHING'S COME DOWN, AND PEOPLE ARE BEING POLITIBLOCKED SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, AND VARIOUS INFORMATION IS SWIRLING OUT THERE.

WE NEED TO CONTEND WITH ALL OF THAT.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO FUNCTION.

AND FINALLY WE'RE CONTINUING OUR BUSINESS AS USUAL.

WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO OUR PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION.

WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO PROGRAMS IN CULTURE.

WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO OUR WORK WITH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE ALL OF THESE THINGS MATTER FOR A SUCCESSFUL SOVEREIGN UKRAINE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE STABILITY FOR ALL OF US.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON ALL THOSE FRONTS.

>> SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT FOR TIME'S SAKE ABOUT THE PROTEST YESTERDAY BECAUSE I READ THAT IT STARTED OFF WITH UKRAINIAN AMERICANS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE JOINING, INCLUDING RUSSIANS.

>> YES.

YES.

THE PROTESTS YESTERDAY THAT WERE KIND OF ALL AROUND MANHATTAN WERE JUST SUCH A TERRIFIC -- THEY'RE JUST SUCH A TERRIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW THE COMMUNITY MOBILIZES LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

PEOPLE STARTED ORGANIZING AND CALLING NYPD AND GETTING PERMITS, AND DIFFERENT GROUPS KIND OF CAME TOGETHER.

AND THIS LEVEL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HERE REALLY MIRRORS THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN UKRAINE AND THE DIVERSITY OF COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS WORKING TOGETHER AND INDIVIDUALS STEPPING UP AND DOING THE RIGHT THING.

SO YESTERDAY IT WAS A GATHERING THAT STARTED AT TIMES SQUARE AND THEN MOVED TO THE RUSSIAN MISSION OF THE U.N. ON 67th, AND THEN MOVED TO THE U.N. HEADQUARTERS, AND THEN MOVED TO THE WESTERN CONSULATE.

IT WAS AMAZING TO ME TO SEE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s AND 30s.

BUT WHAT WAS ALSO IMPRESSIVE TO SEE WAS THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY STEPPING UP AS WELL.

OF COURSE I EXPECTED TO SEE PEOPLE FROM BELARUS.

OF COURSE I EXPECTED TO SEE PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN COMING OUT VOCALLY, VISIBLY, LOUDLY SUPPORTING UKRAINE.

WHAT I'M HAPPY TO SEE NOW IS THAT THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IS ALSO SAYING, HEY, PUTIN, WE DON'T -- THIS IS NOT OKAY.

AND I WELCOME THAT BECAUSE IT IS A LARGE COMMUNITY, AND I CALL ON THAT COMMUNITY TO ORGANIZE AND TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR VOICES BE HEARD BECAUSE THIS IS A GLOBAL THING, AND WE NEED THEM.

>> I HAVE TO ASK YOU THIS.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THINKS, IF YOU CAN SPEAK FOR THEM -- HOW THE AMERICANS AND THE EUROPEAN NATIONS HAVE RESPONDED TO THE THREAT OF THE INVASION AND TO THE INVASION ITSELF?

DID THEY REALISTICALLY DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD, DO YOU THINK?

>> WE NEED THEM TO DO MORE.

WE NEED THEM TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MORE MILITARY SUPPORT.

RIGHT KNNOW, AIR COVER IS CRUCI.

WE NEED THEM TO TAKE ECONOMIC ACTION, SPECIFICALLY CUTTING THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION OFF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL NETWORK CALLED S.W.I.F.T.

AND ADDITIONALLY ECONOMIC SUPPORT TO DEVELOP UKRAINE.

UKRAINE IS A MAJOR EXPORTER OF GRAIN, AND SO MILITARY SUPPORT, ECONOMIC SUPPORT, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, AND HUMANITARIAN AID BECAUSE OF THE DISRUPTION THAT PUTIN HAS CAUSED.

SO THIS IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE CALLING FOR.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE THE UKRAINIAN FORCES ARE FIGHTING BACK FIERCELY DESPITE THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST THEM.

I RECENTLY HEARD FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO SAY THAT ALTHOUGH PUTIN BELIEVED THAT HALF OF THE UKRAINIANS WOULD WELCOME THE RUSSIANS AS LIBERATORS AND THE OTHER HALF WOULD WIELD AT THE JUGGERNAUT, THAT PUTIN -- I'M QUOTING RUBIO -- IS GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO EAT A PORCUPINE BECAUSE UKRAINIANS ARE NOT GOING TO BACK OFF.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BACK DOWN.

YOU AGREE WITH THAT, I'M GUESSING.

>> I DO.

LAST SUMMER I VOLUNTEERED DOING AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CLUB WITH MILITARY VETERANS IN UKRAINE WHO WERE PRE-TRAINING THEMSELVES, LEARNING TO BE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS.

I WAS HELPING SOME OF THEM LEARN ENGLISH.

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THESE GUYS AND GALS.

AND IT'S MEN AND WOMEN.

AND WHAT THEY HAVE IS WILL AND DETERMINATION.

WHAT THEY NEED IS THE SUPPORT FROM THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY IN THE FORM OF MILITARY, ECONOMIC, AND HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT.

THEY GOT THE WILL.

THIS RUNS DEEP.

I MEAN THEY GOT THE SONGS.

THEY GOT THE HISTORY.

THEY GOT THE GUTS.

BUT THEY NEED THE MILITARY, ECONOMIC, AND HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT.

>> SO WHAT CAN WE DO, THOSE OF US HERE IN NEW YORK CITY WHO ARE NOT UKRAINIAN AMERICANS BUT WANT TO HELP?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

>> FIRST THING IS KEEP PAYING ATTENTION, OKAY?

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING AROUND, BUT THE ONE CORE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS UKRAINE IS A SOVEREIGN, INDEPENDENT COUNTRY THAT'S UNDER ATTACK BY ANOTHER COUNTRY.

IT'S JUST A BLATANT LAND GRAB.

PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE ACTION.

I'D ENCOURAGE PEOPLE -- THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD ORGANIZATIONS DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK.

ON OUR SITE, WE HAVE A LIST OF PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN CONTRIBUTE FUNDS AND KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT RAZOMFORUKRAINE.ORG.

WE HAVE A BIG BUTTON THERE THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO A LINK TREE WITH A WHOLE LIST OF PLACES TO GO TO.

RAZOM WAS CREATED EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND IN UKRAINIAN, IT MEANS "TOGETHER."

TOGETHER, WE'LL TRY AND RALLY OUR FORCES TOGETHER TO DO GOOD.

>> I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO THERE BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, DORA, FOR JOINING US TODAY.

I WISH WE COULD TALK UNDER BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU JOINED US.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

HE WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF COOL.

IN A CAREER SPANNING SIX DECADES, MILES DAVIS REDEFINED THE BOUNDARIES OF JAZZ, ROCK, AND FUNCTION MANY TIMES OVER.

DAVIS MADE MUSIC AND LIVES HIS LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS AND BOTH HIS MUSIC AND HIS LIFE ARE THE SUBJECT OF A BRILLIANT NEW AMERICAN MASTERS DOCUMENTARY, "MILES DAVIS, BIRTH OF THE COOL" WITH FULL ACCESS TO THE MILES DAVIS ESTATE, THE FILM FEATURES NEVER BEFORE SEEN ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE, STUDIO OUTTAKES, AND RARE PHOTOS AS IT TELLS THE STORY OF A TRULY SINGULAR TALENT AND UNPACKS THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF AN AMERICAN ICON.

HERE'S A PREVIEW.

>> MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE A CURSE WITH ME.

IT'S THE FIRST THING IN MY LIFE, GO TO BED THINKING ABOUT IT AND WAKE UP THINKING ABOUT IT.

THAT'S ALL I LIVE FOR.

♪ >> MILES STARTED VERY EARLY.

HE LOOKED AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

HE SAW THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST UNIQUE PERSON I'VE EVER KNOWN.

>> HE WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST JUST LIKE STRAVINSKY.

>> A LOT OF THE OLD GUYS THOUGHT THAT IF YOU WENT TO SCHOOL, IT WOULD MAKE YOU PLAY LIKE YOU WERE WHITE.

IF YOU LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THEORY, YOU WOULD LOSE THE FEELING IN YOUR PLAYING.

I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON IN ALL OF MUSIC.

>> JULIA IN THE DAYTIME AND AT NIGHT EVEN ON 62nd STREET.

>> HE PUT THE BELL ON HIS HORN RIGHT INTO THE MICROPHONE AND CHANGED THE WHOLE WORLD OF JAZZ RIGHT THERE.

>> HE COMES UP WITH A STYLE THAT IS TRULY REFLECTIVE OF WHO HE IS.

HE WAS ANGRY, ANTI-SOCIAL.

>> BUT THEN HE STARTS PLAYING, AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, OH, HE JUST DISARMS YOU.

>> HE SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH YOUNG, EMERGING, UNKNOWN VOICES.

>> WE WERE LOOKING AT KIDS.

MILES WAS THE HEAD CHEMIST.

>> HE WANTED US TO LIVE ON THE STAGE, CREATING IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE.

DON'T LEAN ON WHAT YOU KNOW.

WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR IS THE STUFF THAT YOU DON'T KNOW.

>> WE DIDN'T JUST WANT TO PLAY WITH MILES DAVIS.

WE WANTED TO BE MILES DAVIS.

♪ >> MILES' AUDIENCE WAS CHANGING, ABSORBING WHAT WAS HAPPENING NOW.

>> IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KEEP CREATING, THEY HAVE TO BE ABOUT CHANGE.

>> I LOST MY SENSE OF DISCIPLINE AND STARTED TO DRIFT.

BEFORE I KNEW IT, I HAD A HEROIN ADDICTION.

>> MILES BECOMES REPRESENTATIVE OF A KIND OF COOL, A KIND OF SOPHISTICATION, A KIND OF MASCULINITY.

>> WE WERE A HOT COUPLE.

>> THE ELEVATOR OPENED, AND THERE HE WAS.

IT WAS LIKE IN A MOVIE WHEN YOU MEET THE VAMPIRE, AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, AND YOU DON'T CARE.

>> HE BECOMES OUR BLACK SUPERMAN.

>> ALL I EVER WANTED TO DO WAS COMMUNICATE WHAT I FELT THROUGH MUSIC.

♪ >> JOINING US NOW IS THE PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR OF "MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL," STANLEY NELSON.

STANLEY, WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

>> THANK YOU.

>> SO I WANT TO START WITH SORT OF A QUOTE THAT WE HEARD IN THE CLIP A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANT TO READ IT SO I GET IT RIGHT.

MILES USED TO SAY THAT MUSIC IS LIKE A CURSE TO ME, AND IT COMES BEFORE EVERYTHING.

HOW IS THAT QUOTE SORT OF EMBLEMATIC ABOUT THE LIFE OF THE MAN THAT YOU SPENT SO MUCH TIME IMMERSED IN?

>> WELL, FOR MILES, MUSIC WAS FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW?

>> YEAH.

>> AND IT WAS MORE THAN HIS RELATIONSHIPS.

IT WAS MORE THAN THE PEOPLE IN HIS BAND.

WE SEE THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE FILM.

YOU KNOW, MILES' MUSIC IS JUST THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, YOU KNOW.

IF HE HAS TO SACRIFICE HIS RELATIONSHIPS FOR MUSIC, HE DOES.

IF PEOPLE IN HIS BAND DON'T WANT TO MOVE AHEAD WITH HIM AND PLAY WHAT HE'S PLAYING, THEN THEY GO.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS -- I THINK WHEN HE SAYS A CURSE, YOU KNOW, HE'S KIND OF BEING A LITTLE BIT COY THERE BECAUSE FOR MILES, MUSIC WAS EVERYTHING.

BUT IF SOMETHING IS EVERYTHING TO YOU, THEN IT'S NOT ONLY GOOD, BUT IT ALSO IS BAD.

>> OF COURSE.

SO IT TELLS US THE FULL STORY OF MILES DAVIS.

I WANT YOU TO TAKE US BACK TO THE BEGINNING BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW HIS ORIGIN STORY AND THE ROLE THAT THE LIFE THAT HE LEFT TO COME TO NEW YORK PLAYED IN THE PERSON HE BECAME.

>> YEAH.

MILES WAS BORN IN 1926 IN EAST ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE SOUTH, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH IT IN 1926.

BUT MILES DAVIS' FATHER WAS A DENTAL SURGEON, AND MILES DAVIS GREW UP, ESPECIALLY FOR A BLACK KID IN THAT TIME, RICH, YOU KNOW.

THEY HAD A HOUSE IN EAST ST. LOUIS, BUT THEY ALSO HAD A FARM OUTSIDE OF EAST ST. LOUIS WHERE THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, CATTLE AND PIGS.

HE HAD HIS OWN HORSE.

THAT'S HOW MILES GREW UP, YOU KNOW.

MILES HAD TWO JOBS IN HIS LIFE.

HE HAD ONE JOB FOR A WEEK OR TWO AS A PAPER BOY AS A KID, AND HE WAS A MUSICIAN.

THAT'S ALL HE EVER DID.

HIS FATHER WAS ABLE TO SUPPORT HIM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH GOING TO JUILLIARD AND OTHER THINGS.

SO MILES' LIFE WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE THINK OF AS THE JAZZ MUSICIAN'S LIFE.

BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, MILES WAS A PROTEGE.

SO MILES STARTS PLAYING WHEN HE'S 14 WITH BANDS, YOU KNOW, AROUND EAST ST. LOUIS.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PICTURES OF HIM.

YOU SEE HE'S A LITTLE KID.

HE'S PLAYING WITH MEN, YOU KNOW, AT 14.

AND BECAUSE THEY -- THE MEN ALL HAD DAY JOBS, MILES BECOMES THE BAND MANAGER AND KIND OF MANAGES THE BAND, YOU KNOW, AT 14 AND 15, AND IN SOME WAYS WE SEE THE INFLUENCE OF THAT AS MILES PROBABLY BECOMES THE GREATEST SMALL GROUP BANDLEADER IN THE HISTORY OF JAZZ.

>> WELL, OF COURSE AS WE FOLLOW MILES' CAREER ONCE HE COMES TO NEW YORK AND STUDIES AT JUILLIARD, WHICH I'M NOT SURE MANY PEOPLE KNOW.

BUT EVEN THEN THERE'S THIS UNIQUE SORT OF INDIVIDUALISTIC, REBELLIOUS STREAK THAT IS VERY CLEAR FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW AS A YOUNG BLACK MAN IN THE '40s AND '50s, EVEN IN A CITY LIKE NEW YORK, HOW WAS HE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THAT WITHOUT GETTING SERIOUSLY HURT?

ALTHOUGH WE DO UNDERSTAND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN HE GOT HURT, BUT WITHOUT GETTING SERIOUSLY HURT.

>> WELL, MILES, HE'S LIVING AS A JAZZ MUSICIAN, SO HE DOES HAVE THAT.

BUT HE TAKES A BEATING IN 1959 FROM A COP OUTSIDE OF BIRDLAND AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S REALLY BLOODIED.

WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE FILM.

THERE ARE ACTUALLY INCREDIBLE PICTURES AND JIMMY COBB WHO IS THERE, AND FRANCIS TAYLOR WHO IS THERE, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT THAT INCIDENT.

THAT WAS ALWAYS ONE OF THE KIND OF DICHOTOMIES THAT MILES EXISTED WITH, YOU KNOW.

HE'S BORN RICH, BUT HE'S BORN BLACK IN EAST ST. LOUIS.

HE BECOMES, YOU KNOW, VERY EARLY ON THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL JAZZ MUSICIAN, BUT HE'S STILL SUBJECTED TO, YOU KNOW, THE RACISM IN AMERICA.

AND IT ALWAYS IS SOMETHING THAT MILES DEALS WITH ALL HIS LIFE.

>> WELL, AS WE ALSO GET A CHANCE TO FOLLOW HIS CAREER AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS MUSIC, WE OF COURSE GET TO THE SEMINAL ALBUM THAT HE DID "KIND OF BLUE," WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND STILL IS ONE OF THE GREATEST JAZZ ALBUMS EVER RECORDED.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT WAS THAT -- HOW DID HE COME TO THAT PLACE BECAUSE WE FOLLOW A MUSICAL EVOLUTION.

IT'S NOT LIKE THE ALBUM CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.

>> I THINK THAT'S THE WONDERFUL THING THAT WE FOUND IN THE FILM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THIS EVOLUTION, AND IT ALL KIND OF MAKES SENSE.

SO MILES GOES TO FRANCE.

YOU KNOW, HE GOES TO FRANCE TO PLAY IN '57, '58.

HE'S KIND OF PLAYING THERE, AND HE'S ASKED TO DO A SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS FRENCH FILM CALLED "ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS."

AND THE WAY HE DOES THE SOUNDTRACK IS HE JUST GOES INTO THE STUDIO.

THEY PUT THE FILM UP ON THE SCREEN, AND HE PLAYS, YOU KNOW, WITH HIS BAND TO THE IMAGES ON THE SCREEN.

HE HAS A COUPLE OF NOTES.

THAT'S ALL HE HAS, YOU KNOW, AND HE MAKES A VERY FAMOUS RECORDING, "ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS" FOR THIS FILM THAT BECOMES A VERY SUCCESSFUL FRENCH FILM.

WHEN HE COMES BACK, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT HE DOES THE REST OF HIS LIFE, YOU KNOW.

HE GOES INTO THE STUDIO.

"KIND OF BLUE" IS A YEAR LATER.

HE GOES INTO THE STUDIO WITH JUST SOME LITTLE SKETCHES AS JIMMY COBB, WHO IS THE DRUMMER ON THE SESSION, SAYS HE HAD A COUPLE OF LITTLE PIECES OF PAPER, YOU KNOW.

I ASKED HIM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID MILES TELL YOU THEN, AND JIMMY COBB SAYS, MILES JUST TOLD ME TO SWING, JUST SWING.

WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT IS THIS ALBUM OF PURE IMPROVISATION THAT BECOMES, I WOULD ARGUE, THE GREATEST JAZZ ALBUM OF ALL TIME, AND ONE OF THE GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME.

>> ONE OF THE UNOFFICIAL CHARACTERS OF THIS FILM IS ALSO THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND THE ROLE THAT IT PLAYED NOT ONLY IN MILES' LIFE BUT JUST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF JAZZ.

THERE'S SO MANY OTHER MUSICIANS HERE AT THE TIME WHO WERE JAMMING WITH HIM AND SITTING IN ON SESSIONS, ET CETERA.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT VIBE WAS LIKE.

>> SO MILES, YOU KNOW, HE GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL IN EAST ST. LOUIS, AND ALMOST LIKE THE NEXT DAY GETS ON THE TRAIN TO NEW YORK.

HE'S LIKE, I'M GOING TO NEW YORK.

AND, YOU KNOW, HIS PARENTS, ESPECIALLY HIS MOTHER, YOU KNOW, WANT HIM TO BE A VIOLINIST, SO HE ENROLLS IN JUILLIARD.

WHAT CAN HIS MOTHER SAY?

YOU'RE IN JUILLIARD, OKAY, SO YOU CAN GO TO NEW YORK.

HE COMES TO JUILLIARD, AND HE'S STUDYING AT JUILLIARD DURING THE DAY BUT PLAYING ON 52nd STREET WITH CHARLIE PARKER AT NIGHT.

AND VERY QUICKLY, I THINK HE'S 19 OR SOMETHING, 18, AND HE JOINS CHARLIE PARKER'S BAND.

AFTER DIZZY GILLESPIE LEAVES, HE BECOMES THE TRUMPETER FOR CHARLIE PARKER.

THAT'S A LOVE AFFAIR MILES HAD ALL HIS LIFE.

HE ALWAYS -- EVEN IF HE HAD A PLACE IN MALIBU, HE ALSO HAD HIS PLACE IN NEW YORK.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I ALSO THOUGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING WAS THAT THIS FILM IS NOT JUST FOR THE JAZZ ENTHUSIAST.

THIS IS FOR -- I MEAN I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT.

I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO WATCH IT WITH MY FAMILY, SOME MILLENNIALS, ET CETERA.

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FULLY IMMERSED IN THE JAZZ WORLD TO APPRECIATE WHO MILES WAS AND WHAT HIS WORK REPRESENTED.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST INTENT THAT YOU WANTED IN MAKING THIS?

>> THAT'S SUCH A GREAT QUESTION, INTERESTING QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, WHAT I WANTED TO DO, I'VE BEEN MAKING FILMS FOR 40 YEARS, YOU KNOW.

I WENT TO CITY COLLEGE HERE IN NEW YORK AND, YOU KNOW, AND BEEN MAKING FILMS FOR 40 YEARS.

THIS WAS A CHANCE TO MAKE A FILM ABOUT MILES DAVIS.

SO I WANTED TO PUT EVERYTHING THAT I HAD LEARNED, EVERYTHING THAT I KNEW UP THERE ON THE SCREEN, YOU KNOW, AND TRIED TO MAKE A FILM THAT IN SOME WAYS KIND OF NOT MOCKED BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IMITATED, KIND OF HAD THIS CREATIVE SENSE OF MILES, YOU KNOW.

SO WE THREW, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD.

WHEN I SAY WE, THE EDITOR, THE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, THE PRODUCER.

WE THREW EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD UP THERE, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE MILES HIS DUE.

THIS IS A FILM ABOUT MILES DAVIS.

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

IT COVERS SUCH AN AMAZING -- THE BREADTH OF SUCH AN AMAZING LIFE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS FILM.

>> THANK YOU.

IT WAS A REAL HONOR TO MAKE THIS FILM.

>> IT WAS SO GREAT AND ENGROSSING TO WATCH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AMERICAN MASTERS PRESENTATION OF MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL, VISIT US AT METROFOCUS.ORG.

>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY -- ♪ ♪ ♪