Part 2: The Gift (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

The flowering of the Jazz Age is a tale of two great cities, Chicago and New York, and two extraordinary artists whose achievements spanned nearly three-quarters of a century. Louis Armstrong was a fatherless waif who grew up on the rough streets of New Orleans, developing his extraordinary gifts before moving to Chicago, where his transcendent sound inspired a new generation of musicians. Duke Ellington, raised in middle-class comfort, outgrew the society music of Washington, D.C., and headed for Harlem, where he formed a band and created a music all his own. This program also tells the stories of Paul Whiteman, a white bandleader who sold millions of records playing a sweet, symphonic jazz, and Fletcher Henderson, a black bandleader who packed the whites-only Roseland Ballroom with his bold arrangements. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Part 3: Our Language (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

The stock market surged through the 1920s and jazz was everywhere in America. Now, for the first time, soloists and singers took center stage, transforming the music with distinctive voices and unique stories. This program introduces Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues, whose songs eased the pain of life for millions of black Americans; Bix Beiderbecke, the first great white jazz star, inspired by Louis Armstrong to dedicate his life to the music; and two brilliant sons of Jewish immigrants, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, for whom jazz offered an escape from the ghetto. Viewers also follow Duke Ellington’s exploits at the Cotton Club and his entry into radio, which brought him national fame, as well as Louis Armstrong’s return to Chicago, where he was now billed as “The World’s Greatest Trumpet Player” and charted the future of jazz. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Part 5: Swing: Pure Pleasure (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

As the Depression dragged on, jazz came as close as it ever would to being America’s popular music. Now it was often called swing, and, as this program illustrates, it became the defining music of a generation. Suddenly, jazz bandleaders were the new matinee idols, with Benny Goodman hailed as the “King of Swing,” while teenagers jitterbugged just as hard to the music of his rivals: Tommy Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford, Glenn Miller, and the mercurial Artie Shaw. But viewers will discover that the spirit of swing wasn’t limited to the dance floor. In New York, Billie Holiday emerged from a tragic childhood to begin her career as the greatest of all female jazz singers. And in Chicago, Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson proved that, despite segregation, there was room in jazz for great black and white musicians to swing side-by-side on stage. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (A Concise Biography)

Academy Media

This program from the Famous Composers series introduces the life and work of Russian-born composer Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky. The film provides an overview of Stravinsky's childhood, which involved a sound musical education but pressure from his parents to pursue law, and the surrounding political turmoil in Russia. Not until Stravinsky's father died did he fully shift his concentration from law to music. He traveled to the Western world to see the premiere of his first ballet, The Firebird, in 1910, and settled in Switzerland with his family shortly thereafter. The film explores their experiences and struggles as a Russian Orthodox family living in Switzerland during WWI. The film follows Stravinsky to France, where he lost his wife and daughter, and then to the United States where he settled with his second wife. (40 minutes)

Part 8: Risk (Ken Burns: Jazz)

PBS

The social tensions underlying America’s postwar prosperity were reflected in the broken rhythms and dissonant melodies of bebop—and in the troubled life of Charlie Parker. Nicknamed “Bird,” Parker demonstrated ideas and techniques as overwhelming for musicians of his generation as Louis Armstrong’s had been a quarter-century before. But Parker wasn’t the only bebop innovator. Dizzy Gillespie tried to popularize the new sound by adding showmanship and Latin rhythms, while pianist Thelonius Monk infused it with his eccentric personality. Alas, pop singers were the rage. Searching for a new audience, California musicians opted for cool and mellow and Dave Brubeck stirred in classical influences. But one man remained determined to give jazz popular appeal on his own terms—the trumpet player and one-time Parker sideman Miles Davis. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns.

Part 9: The Adventure (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

Amid the rise of suburbia, television, rock ‘n’ roll, and the baby boom generation, jazz lost a beloved and burned-out star: Billie Holiday. But the music still had its two guiding lights. In 1956, the first year Elvis topped the charts, Duke Ellington recaptured the nation’s ear with a performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. The next year, Louis Armstrong made headlines when he condemned racism in Little Rock, Arkansas—risking his career while musicians who dismissed him as an Uncle Tom stayed silent. But the leading light of the era was Miles Davis—a catalyst constantly forming new groups to showcase different facets of his stark, introspective sound. Then, as the turbulent Sixties arrived, two saxophonists took jazz further into uncharted terrain—John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

The Appalachians: The First Frontier

Evening Star Productions

This program examines the first waves of settlement in the Appalachian mountains, beginning with the region's earliest inhabitants-the Cherokee people and other Native American tribes. Illustrating how these indigenous populations were eventually overwhelmed by the arrival of Europeans, the video focuses on the influx of Scots-Irish immigrants, their crucial role in the American Revolution, and their equally defiant stance against the fledgling U.S. government during the Whiskey Rebellion. The Appalachian origins of country music are also examined, with particular attention to the influences of African-American and revivalist religious culture. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (53 minutes)

Brenda Fassie

LONDON FILMS

The music in this program is a detonating blend of soul, disco, and Mbaqanga-a blend of pop and traditional rhythms-from music legend Brenda Fassie, niece of Nelson Mandela. Fassie talks about her childhood days as a singer with the Tiny Tots-a street-corner group with whom she often did imitations of American folk singer Roberta Flack. Later music, which she describes as "bubble-gum," made her a star. But it was her song written and dedicated to Mandela entitled "Black President" that thrust her onto the international music scene. Banned in South Africa, the song became an international anthem for the anti-apartheid movement. (25 minutes)

Copland: Appalachian Spring

Scottish Television

How "musical space" is used to create drama in classical pieces is explored by examining this famous work of American composer Aaron Copland. Mixing small musical steps with giant leaps between notes and chords, the orchestra shows how Copland developed a musical piece full of surprises and the dissonant sounds for which he is noted. (15 minutes)

Stravinsky: Devil's Dance from A Soldier's Tale and Vivo and Finale from Pulcinella

Scottish Television

This energetic program illustrates how unpredictable rhythms punctuate musical pieces, and how different instruments are used to create the effect. The orchestra dissects the two Stravinsky pieces line-by-line, illustrating the composer's use of stark rhythm changes to achieve wondrous musical special effects. (15 minutes)

Ennio Morricone: The Man Behind the Music

INDIGO FACTUAL LTD

One of the most celebrated composers in international cinema, Ennio Morricone has written scores for more than 400 classic and contemporary films. In this timeless program, Morricone describes how he got his start in show business, the challenges of composing for film, and his experiences working with big-name directors and musicians. Directors Brian De Palma and Bernardo Bertolucci, producer David Puttnam, and many others offer insights into Morricone's genius for composition-scoring, conducting, and mixing his own soundtracks-and his lifelong fascination with music and sound. Scenes from numerous films, including Oscar-nominee The Mission, provide vivid examples of his art in action. (54 minutes)

Duke Ellington's Washington: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Neighborhood

Hedrick Smith Productions

During the early 20th century, Washington, D.C., was the cultural capital of black America. Prefiguring Harlem in the 1920s, D.C.’s Uptown area nurtured dynamic figures such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Mary Church Terrell, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Dr. Charles Drew. In this program, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Hedrick Smith tells the often overlooked story of the heyday, decline, and renewal of Uptown. Combined with rare photographs and archival footage, sparkling interviews with jazz pianist Billy Taylor, Ellington biographer John Hasse, historians James Horton and Edward Smith, and others describe the community’s halcyon days, the post-desegregation exodus that opened the door to urban decay, and efforts that are reclaiming and renewing the neighborhood. (57 minutes)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

LONDON FILMS

In the ancient hills and valleys of Natal, the haunting strains of Isicathamiya stir the blood and soul of the Zulu nation. In this program, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the ten-man choral a cappella group featured on Paul Simon's Graceland album, lends its full-throated harmonies to music that cuts to the core of the universal spirit. The rhythms of Isicathamiya-a stealthy, prowling Zulu dance-can be sensed throughout the many musical performances. The group's leader, Joseph Shabalala, explains how the group has honed the sound to mesmerizing perfection, and reveals the essence of the music in the tapping of a plough, the lowing of domestic animals, and the movement of the wind over the Natal terrain. (25 minutes)

Ntemi Piliso: African Jazz Pioneer

LONDON FILMS

In this program, African jazz musician Edmund "Ntemi" Piliso traces the roots of African jazz from the days of apartheid in 1940s Alexandra Township. With musical performances throughout highlighting the various eras, Piliso moves through the days of pennywhistle jive groups hustling change on streetcorners, to the sounds of marabi-a bittersweet fusion of American jazz and the restless rhythm of an uprooted tribal culture. The latter sound, lost for a time amid the African pop music craze of the 1960s through the 1980s, is now being revived by Piliso and his musical group, the African Jazz Pioneers. In this program, we listen as they kick off that revival campaign in small township halls and jazz clubs. (25 minutes)

Speak of Me As I Am: The Story of Paul Robeson

NVC Arts International

In this program, narrated by actress Pam Grier and featuring Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, interviews with academic experts plus contemporaries such as Studs Terkel, Martin Duberman, Pete Seeger, Lloyd Brown, Glyn Roberts, Mark Naison, John Lewis, and Oscar Brown Jr. bring to life a complex man whose political views overshadowed his achievements in the eyes of many Americans. The program presents Paul Robeson—star athlete, world-renowned singer and actor, enemy of segregation, and Communist sympathizer—through the eyes of those who knew him. (59 minutes)

Rhythm

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

This program examines 20th-century music from the perspective of its most fundamental force-rhythm. It shows how western orchestral music has freed itself from the domination of melody and explored the richness of musical pulse. Starting with the driving power of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Rattle uses works by Gustav Mahler, Sibelius, and modern composer Steve Reich to show that the labels "traditionalist" and "innovator" are irrelevant to the expression of rhythmic invention. (53 minutes)

The American Way

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

This program focuses on young, innovative American composers who learned from the music of the past, and from the music of other cultures. Jazz, military bands, Quaker hymns, country dances, German Expressionism, and minimalism all contribute to a dazzling display of energy and virtuosity in the music presented. Works by Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein, Ives, Cage, and others are included. (53 minutes)

Music Today

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

In this program, Rattle presents an eclectic selection of works by living composers to illustrate the rich variety of new musical trends he believes pave the way to the future. The music of Berio and Henze illustrates how the past has become just one ingredient in today's world of instant access to sounds, pictures, and ideas from every continent and every era. Strange and compelling works by Gubaidulina and Kurtag echo with Eastern European and central Asian sensibilities silenced under communism. Pieces by Turnage, Knussen, and Birtwistle work and rework concepts of the primeval, of virtuosity and of humanism. (51 minutes)

Dizzy Gillespie: Bop and a Bent Trumpet

NBD Television Limited

A pioneer of bebop and its first spin-off, Afro-Cuban jazz, Dizzy Gillespie-with his quick wit, puffed-out cheeks, and signature bent trumpet-was also a masterful showman who succeeded in making his complex music popular with his audiences. From his roots as a self-taught trombone-turned-trumpet player, to his legendary status as the cofounder of modern jazz, to his international travels as an ambassador of jazz, this program presents the dynamic music of John Birks Gillespie against the backdrop of his memorable life. (25 minutes)

Fanfare for America: The Composer Aaron Copland

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Impressed with how European music could have a "German sound," a "French sound," and so on, Aaron Copland returned from his years in Paris to New York City, intent on capturing the essence of the "American sound." This documentary presents an artful blending of the life and music of one of America's great modern composers. The many milestones in Copland's long career are discussed by his biographer, Howard Pollock, while stirring images of Copland's native city are set to selections of his music as performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. FRSO conductor Hugh Wolff provides astute commentary. Many interviews with Copland are included, along with a historic recording of "Clarinet Concerto" with Benny Goodman playing and Copland conducting. (59 minutes)

Prokofiev: The Prodigal Son

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Here is a breathtaking portrait of one of the 20th century's musical giants, a man who sought to stand aloof from the turbulent events of his time only to be swallowed up and crushed by them. The program offers superb performances of judicious selections of his works, from the barely-known products of his childhood through the canon of his famous works, from solo piano and vocal pieces to orchestral and ballet selections; it also interweaves stills and biographical reenactments with archival footage of the fateful times through which he lived. The questions this program raises about the relationship between Prokofiev's sources, his goals as an individual and a musician, and his musical achievements will inevitably lead to a more thorough examination of his work. (92 minutes)

20th-Century Music in Venice

Jane Balfour Films

This program covers the start of the International Music Festivals and Venice's role as host to Hindemith, Schoenberg, Bartok, and Stravinsky; the rise to fame of Malipiero, Nono, and Maderna; and the role of today's avant-gardists. Live performances in the Albrizzi Palace and on the Lido. (52 minutes)

Arnold Schoenberg: My Evolution

University of California at Los Angeles

With Schoenberg’s lecture at UCLA as the narrative track, the musical illustrations he cites, and with photographs, manuscripts, and period footage, this program offers a unique picture of music struggling into the 20th century, of atonality, and of Schoenberg himself. (51 minutes)

Forgotten Legends of Jazz

Tony Brown Productions

Guest Donald Byrd shares with Tony Brown and a live studio audience stories and insights about his career in jazz in this program from Tony Brown's Journal. As a sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was known as one of the onlybebopjazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while remaining a jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd was an influence on the early career ofHerbie Hancock.

Lionel Hampton: Living History

Tony Brown Productions

Musical legend Lionel Hampton was a confidant to the late President George H. W. Bush, a great African-American jazz vibraphonist, a pianist, a percussionist, a bandleader, and a builder of housing for the poor. In this program from Tony Brown's Journal, he discusses his well-rounded career in jazz before a live-studio audience in New York.

Martha Reeves in a New Galaxy

Tony Brown Productions

With signature songs like Dancing in the Street, Jimmy Mack, and Heat Wave, Martha Reeves was one of Motown’s singing icons at the peak of her career. In this program from Tony Brown's Journal, Reeves talks about how her life and her music have changed over the decades and discusses her influence on the world’s aspiring performers.

Episode 2: Hard Times (1933-1945) (Ken Burns: Country Music)

Ken Burns

During the Great Depression and World War II, country music thrives and reaches bigger audiences. Gene Autry sets off a craze for singing cowboys, Bob Wills adapts jazz’s Big Band sound to create Texas Swing, and Roy Acuff becomes a star.

Episode 4: I Cant Stop Loving You (1953-1963) (Ken Burns: Country Music)

Ken Burns

In Memphis, the confluence of blues and hillbilly music at Sun Studios gives birth to “rockabilly,” the precursor of rock and roll. Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash are at the forefront. Nashville has become Music City USA.

Episode 5: The Sons and Daughters Of America (1964-1968) (Ken Burns: Country Music)

Ken Burns

During a time of upheaval, country music reflects the changes in American society. Loretta Lynn performs songs that speak on behalf of women. Charley Pride becomes a country star. Merle Haggard becomes the “Poet of the Common Man.”

Episode 8: Dont Get Above Your Raisin (1984-1996) (Ken Burns: Country Music)

Ken Burns

As country music’s popularity skyrockets, the genre confronts the question of whether it can also stay true to its roots. The success of the “New Traditionalists”—Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, the Judds, and Dwight Yoakam—suggests it can.

Lightfoot

McIntyre Media Inc

Lloyd Robertson sits down for a rare interview with singer-songwriter and Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot, who at the age of 79 is still on the road touring. From his first Canadian hit in 1962 Lightfoot has toured continuously and has become known as Canada's troubadour. Highly acclaimed, his songs have been covered by scores of other famous musicians, such as Elvis Presley, yet his family and friends know him for his unselfish generosity, fairness, and genuine loyalty.

Kraftwerk and the Electronic Revolution

MVD Entertainment Group

As innovative as they are influential, Kraftwerk's contribution to the development of electronic music remains unsurpassed. Having inspired everyone from Bowie to Coldplay and Siouxsie to Radiohead, this collective has also proven partly responsible for the development of entire genres, such as electronica, synthpop, and techno. This film reviews the career and music of Kraftwerk, from their inception in the late 1960s (as the pre-Kraftwerk ensemble Organization), through their most celebrated period in the mid 1970s, and culminating with their resurgence during the 1980s with the popularity of synthpop and techno. The program further explores how Kraftwerk both fitted in and pulled away from the electronic wing of what is often lazily referred to as "Krautrock." Features rarely seen photographs, live and studio footage of Kraftwerk and their contemporaries, and exclusive interviews with former Kraftwerk members, other German ambient and electronic musicians, and German academics, writers and journalists.

John Cage: Talks About Cows & One/Seven

MVD Entertainment Group

The wisdom of hand and heart comes pouring from the presence of John Cage, caught on video by the eye of Chris Felver. Cage is seen at Crown Point Press in San Francisco preparing an exhibition of his etchings based on smoke and rock formations. Remembering Black Mountain College, he cites the people who made it exciting: Robert Rauschenberg, Charles Olson, Josef Albers, and Buckminster Fuller. Detailing the first "happening," Cage underscores that his music is more a refection of what is outside of himself, not within him. He reminisces about his initial encounter with the I Ching, a text that taught him the importance of chance operations, the grounding of his music, writing, and visual art.

Dizzy Gillespie: Jivin' in Be-Bop

MVD Entertainment Group

Recorded at a time when Dizzy was fronting his fabled postwar big band, featuring jazz greats such as pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and bassist Ray Brown, this concert film captures the irrepressible trumpeter at his finest. In a format that was typical of the day, dancing acts and singers such as Helen Humes or Kenny "Pancho" Hagood were featured alongside the headlining Gillespie Orchestra—while Dizzy and his men enthusiastically attacking bebop classics such as "Salt Peanuts," "Shaw 'Nuff," and "Things to Come" remains thrilling to watch. All clips have been selected from the 1947 feature Jivin' in Be-Bop. (50 minutes)

Nat King Cole: The Legendary Nat King Cole

MVD Entertainment Group

Through video footage, television clips, and rare early photos, this film uncovers the life of one of America's leading cultural icons, Nat King Cole—documenting both his struggles and successes, from his early childhood in Alabama to his transformation into America's best loved performer. The video also includes countless bonus clips of classic like "Mona Lisa," "Nature Boy," "A Christmas Song," "Route 66," "Paper Moon," "Sweet Lorraine," and "For Sentimental Reasons"—all taken from Cole's live concert and television performances as well as collaborations with outstanding artists, such as Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Ertha Kitt, and Johnny Mercer. (96 minutes)

Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues

California Newsreel

With its roots in the work songs, hollers, and spirituals of generations of black field hands, blues music blossomed into an art form in its own right during the social and economic transformations of African-American life in the early 20th century. Ma Rainey took the blues to a wider audience with traveling vaudeville shows, while Mamie Smith’s recordings broke down barriers for black artists of all musical genres. Featuring dozens of rare renditions of early blues songs, this program looks at the careers of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, and other legendary women who together helped to establish the blues as a vital part of America’s cultural legacy. (58 minutes)

The Last Poets: Made in Amerikkka

Andana Films

Woven into the roots of hip-hop, slam poetry, and other socially conscious forms of expression is the seminal work of the Last Poets, a confederation of musicians and spoken-word artists who began performing together in 1968. This film documents a 2011 concert and recording session in which the Poets reintroduce some of their best known compositions, displaying as much energy and passion as when they first took on the mantle of Black Power advocacy. Mingling the performance sequences with lyrics splashed across the screen in urban-cool graphics, the program also features a vivid parade of talking-head discussions that take viewers from the group's origins and the formative experiences of its individual members to the heady atmosphere of today's hip-hop scene. In the latter, the Last Poets remain dazzlingly relevant. Contains potentially offensive language and mature subject matter associated with artistic expression. Viewer discretion advised. (52 minutes)

Guns N' Roses: Use Your Illusion--Classic Album Under Review (Special Edition), Part 1

MVD Entertainment Group

Guns N’ Roses, formed in Los Angels, California in 1985, epitomizes rock 'n' roll with glorious excesses and captivating showmanship. With members Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagen, and Steve Adler, they will forever be thought of as one of the world's most iconic bands. With the release of their albums "Use Your Illusion I & II", the band cemented their place in music history, becoming the first group ever to occupy the top two positions on the Billboard 200 chart. Guns N' Roses have been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of rock music, at a time when popular music was dominated by dance music and pop metal. The late 1980s and early 1990s have been described as the period in which they brought forth a "hedonistic rebelliousness" reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones. Part one of the series Guns N' Roses: Use Your Illusion--Classic Album Under Review. (95 minutes)

Music Pop

MVD Entertainment Group

This "compilacion del video de la musica" features world-renowned Latin performers Ricky Martin, Pandora, Paulino Rubio, and many more! When Ricky Martin lit up the stage at the 1999 Grammy's, mainstream America got its first full exposure to the Latin pop genre that was already popular in Latin America for years. Many Latin pop artists have crossed over into the mainstream market, including many who are featured here! 15 Latin pop favorites on one incredible music video collection sure to bring life to any fiesta of old and new fans alike. Highlights include Ricky Martin’s performance of the classic “Dime Que Me Quieres”; Paulino Rubio’s remarkable performance of “Mio”; Pandora singing “Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste”; Ana Gabriel in a rare rendition of “Simplemente Amigos”; and Mijares and Rocio Banquells’ crowd-pleasing “La Bella y La Bestia.” Fans of Latino, dance, and world music won’t want to miss it! (57 minutes)

Canciones Del Corazon

MVD Entertainment Group

From the traditional sounds of regional Mexican music, mariachi, and norteño, to the energetic musical styles of Caribbean salsa and merengue, to hot dance beats of Latin pop and rock, Latin music includes a wide variety of musical styles. But none is so moving as the ballad, which explores love, machismo, and betrayal. Prepare for an emotional experience: this "compilacion del video de la musica" features world renowned Latin performers Julio Iglesias, Jon Secada, Ana Gabriel and many more singing 14 Latin love ballads on one incredible music video collection. It's sure to warm your heart and inspire romance for years to come. Highlights include Julio Iglesias in a classic performance of “El Amor Que Te Hace Falta”; Jon Secada singing beautifully to “Solo Otra Dia”; Ana Gabriel’s heart-warming “Soledad”; Veronica Castro performing “Oye Tu”; and Philip Michael Thomas and Lucia Galan in a stirring duet of “Por Siempre.” (60 minutes)

Salsa Y Tropical

MVD Entertainment Group

This "compilacion del video de la musica" features world-renowned Latin performers Gruapo Mana, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Los Tupamaros, and so many more! This video features energetic, Caribbean salsa music, along with tropical, “cumbia” tunes, sweetly syncopated dance music originating from Colombia. This rhythmic and enticing compilation rewards its listeners – and dancers! – again and again. Featured in all their brilliance are 10 Latin salsa and tropical favorites on one incredible music video collection. (44 minutes)

Metallica: Collector's Set, Part 1

MVD Entertainment Group

Metallica was the first band to have had five albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200, and as of 2010 had sold more than 100 million albums world-wide. After starting in the early 1980s Metallica is a band whose career has spanned decades. This documentary is a retrospective of their career, starting right at the beginning of their journey and carrying through into the 21st century; packed with interviews, footage, rare archives, and contributions from those closest to the group. Also examined is their musical evolution and their impact on the Heavy Metal genre. Part one of the series Metallica: Collector's Set, this is "Dark Souls." (62 minutes)

Juan de Marcos Gonzales and Afro Cuban All Stars: Absolutely Live

MVD Entertainment Group

Juan de Marcos González is one of the most important figures in Cuban music today. He has a mission to show the world the wealth, diversity, and vitality of Cuban music. His work with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Buena Vista Social Club, Rubén González, Ibrahim Ferrer, Sierra Maestra, and others has made an extraordinary contribution to raising the profile of Cuban music throughout the world. However, neither his name nor his crucial contribution is well-known to the general public and he remains something of an unsung hero of Cuban music. This compilation features two separate live sets performed by different incarnations of The Afro-Cuban All-Stars; one, filmed in Japan, features such selections as "Tanga/Distinto, Diferente," and "Habana del Este"; the other, filmed at The Hague in The Netherlands, features such selections as "Cantante/Viruta," and "Adivinador." Don’t miss a fantastic live recording of these living Afro-Cuban legends! (161 minutes)

Musica Mundial

MVD Entertainment Group

Rousing live performances by some of the most popular contemporary Latin American musicians comprise this collection Musica Mundial review. This "compilacion del video de la musica" features world renowned Latin performers Julio Iglesias, Placido Domingo, Texas Tornados and many more. Musica Mundial features nine Latin "world" favorites on one incredible music video collection. It's a dynamic showcase of extraordinary talent, sure to impress music fans young and old. Musica Mundial highlights include Julio Iglesias & Placido Domingo singing “Sonadores,” to an adoring crowd; the Gipsy Kings energetic performance of “Bailame”; Juan Luis Guerray’s remarkable performance of “A Pedir Su Mano,” Ruben Blades blazing hot on "Caminando,” "Sopa de Caracol" (Banda Blanca), "Sera Que No Me Amas" (Luis Miguel) and Texas Tornados’ fantastic rendition of “La Mucura.” Fans of Latino, dance, and world music won’t want to miss this exciting evening of classic performances by some of today’s hottest stars! (44 minutes)

Frank Zappa: Straight to Bizarre

MVD Entertainment Group

Desperate to remove himself from his original deal with Verve Records, in 1968 Frank Zappa set up the Bizarre and Straight labels in league with manger Herb Cohen. Actually, Zappa co-founded two labels — the Straight and Bizarre imprints (which were distributed by Warner Brothers). And not only was Zappa’s then-band, the Mothers of Invention, part of the collective roster, but so were some other now-legendary artists, including Captain Beefheart and Alice Cooper. This film revisits and reviews the astonishing music that came out on Bizarre and Straight, and reveals the background, operations, and the lives of the musicians, performers, and management who made these labels the legendary reality they became. (171 minutes)

Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List

MVD Entertainment Group

In the liner notes of Freak Out! it says: "These People Have Contributed Materially in Many Ways to Make Our Music What it is. Please Do Not Hold it Against Them." Knowing who these people are and were is one thing; knowing what they meant to Zappa is something completely different. Frank Zappa published a record of his most important influences on the inside cover of his debut album. This film explores the musical roots of Frank Zappa by putting The Freak Out List under the microscope and tracing the lineage from the names to the recordings and performances of the man himself. This video features rare footage of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention plus archive film of Freak Out List artists, interviews with Ian Underwood, Don Preston, and George Duke, 1950s Doo Wop legends, The Cadillacs, Zappa biographers Ben Watson and Greg Russo, and many others. (88 minutes)

Always Chasin' Rainbows: Tin Pan Alley—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

This film features the transformation of music into a commodity and shows how radio exploited popular music. The following artists are featured: Al Jolson; Bing Crosby; Bob Wills; George Gershwin; Irving Berlin; Perry Como; Rudy Vallee; The Carter Family.

Good Times: Rhythm and Blues—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

The film features the creation of the rhythm and blues sound and its emergence into popularity. The following artist are featured: Jerry Wexler;Aretha Franklin;Bill Haley; Bo Diddley;Ike and Tina Turner;Stevie Wonder;The Supremes;The Platters;Pat Boone;Wilson Pickett.

Making Moonshine: Country Music—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

This film features the establishment of country music and its bluegrass and folk roots. The following artists are featured: Jimmie Rodgers; Minnie Pearl;Ernest Tubb; Roy Acuff; Roy Rogers; Tex Ritter; Bill Anderson;Doug Kershaw; William Ivey.

Go Down, Moses: Folk 'War Songs'—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

This film features the rise in popularity of folk music with controversial lyrics and traditional tunes. The following artists are featured: Joan Baez;Woody Guthrie; Arlo Guthrie; Leonard Cohen; Pete Seeger; Peter Paul and Mary; Country Joe McDonald.

All Along the Watchtower: Sour Rock—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

This film features rock culture in the 1960s, from stardom to drug abuse and even death. The following artists are featured: Mick Jagger , Bill Wyman , Eric Burdon , Frank Zappa , Janis Joplin , Jimi Hendrix , Manfred Mann , Pink Floyd , John Lennon , Paul McCartney , The Doors , The Rolling Stones , The Who.

Imagine: New Directions—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

This film presents an analytical look at rock and roll in the 1960s and 1970s. It offers viewpoints from managers, musicians, religious leaders, business marketers, and those who opted-out of entering the music scene.Live recordingsfromMike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Jack Bruce, Black Oak Arkansas, Electric Light Orchestra, Manfred Mann, and Baker-Gurvitz Army are presented.

I Can Hypnotise Dis Nation: Ragtime—All You Need Is Love: A History of Popular Music

Pop Twist Entertainment

This film presents the life of an American composer of ragtime music, Scott Joplin.

Music and Technology—Exploring the World of Music

Annenberg Learner

New instrument types and new electronic media for distribution are obvious results of technology, but so were the first bone flute and the first stretched catgut. How technology affects music is examined here in a case study of the flute, and in an examination of developing recording and composing technologies where the roles of composer, musician, arranger, and conductor begin to fuse.

Kurt Cobain: The Early Life of a Legend

MVD Entertainment Group

Ten years after the Kurt Cobain’s tragic death, the seminal grunge rocker remains the only true musical icon of the post-punk age. This program traces Cobain’s early life from his childhood in small-town Washington up to his first taste of superstardom at the dawn of the release of the multiplatinum album, Nevermind. Encompassing different aspects of his life and career, the documentary, though unauthorized, benefits from research from Cobain biographer Charles Cross, and contributions from his friends, relatives, band members, and others.

Discovering Masterpieces of Classical Music: Debussy (Concert)

EuroArts Music International

Daniel Barenboim conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a 2000 performance of Debussy's La Mer.

All Hail the Beat: Focus Forward—Short Films, Big Ideas

Cinelan LLC

The Roland TR-808 drum machine inspires musicians around the world, even though the device hasn’t been made since 1984 — and most of its avid users have never actually seen one. Directed by Nelson George.

Welcome To The Club: 25 Years Of Electronic Music

ARTE France

Techno celebrated its 25th birthday in 2013. It has become a culture in its own right, ranking among trendy music, and bringing together millions of people worldwide. Its DJs have become veritable stars. It is a global, worldwide culture, and its creators and fans alike share its common denominators of hedonism, a thirst for freedom, and a sense of suspended time via its musical trances. Thanks to Internet, but also thanks to emblematic festivals, the Techno movement is today undergoing exponential growth. What are the codes and the creative processes of this worldwide culture? Who are the leading players of this global movement? How does this music influence contemporary creation, and increasingly, the economy?

The Black Roots of Music: Part 1

Tony Brown Productions

In this program from Tony Brown's Journal, the Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, aide to MLK and university scholar, musically demonstrates with a 100-member choir how Black Americans wrote their true history in musical notes and explains how Black music made American music.

The Music of Harry Belafonte

Tony Brown Productions

In this program from Tony Brown's Journal, Harry Belafonte discusses his musical career and his commitment to the human rights struggle worldwide.

Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music

HBO

Rich with stunning musical performances, the documentary Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music captures Taylor Mac’s marathon, 24-hour immersive theatrical experience. The one-time-only concert offered an alternative take on U.S. history, narrated through popular music performed by Mac (accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra) in elaborate, decade-specific costumes.

American Rock (Rock Legends, Season 10)

3DD Entertainment

The foundations of American Rock are firmly in rock and roll and infused a variety of musical genres of the time. America was fighting the Vietnam War, protests across the country were widespread. It was during this period of unrest that the driving force behind artists such as Boston, REO Speedwagon, Styx and many others were formed.

Folk Around the World (Rock Legends, Season 10)

3DD Entertainment

An orally transmitted musical heritage of a culture, in the 1930s, enjoyed a resurgence during the Great Depression following stock market crash, droughts and dust storms encouraged farmers out of the dust bowl to California and New York State. The American folk music revival began with performers like Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Paul Robeson. Breakthrough act The Weavers sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, labour songs, and American ballads and their style inspired the commercial folk boom that followed them into the 1960s, with Peter Paul and Mary, Gordon Lightfoot and The Seekers.

Soul R&B (Rock Legends, Season 10)

3DD Entertainment

The style for R&B music is soulful and moving. It is a music genre whose origin is from African American cultures that began in the 1940s. The genre continued to evolve with a wide range of extraordinary artists. with Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Four Tops and Jimmy Ruffin.

Bluegrass (Rock Legends, Season 11)

3DD Entertainment

Bluegrass music is a form of American Roots music. It originates from the Appalachian Mountain regions of America, and it very much features acoustic instruments; acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. It’s music from struggle, but it’s music, which has this sense of joy, and when it gets going, there’s an almost religious fervour. Featuring clips of Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Allison Kraus. Journalists/critics includeWill Hodgkinson (The Times), Sunta Templeton (Radio X), John Aizlewood (Evening Standard).

Gospel (Rock Legends, Season 11)

3DD Entertainment

Gospel is a genre of religious music, which is very much focused on a strong vocal delivery. These amazing harmonies and lyrics, which are celebratory. It’s music of unparalleled spirituality. It’s the music of hope; it’s the music of light, and it’s the music of better times ahead. It’s a combination of African Spirituals from Africans who were brought over to be slaves, and Christianity, but the non-conformist side of Christianity; Methodism, Pentecostalism. Gospel is a particularly Christian kind of music, but it’s also a music that’s infused with the African beat and the African harmonies that the slaves brought over to America. They adapted their music to some of the Christian music that was already there, particularly in a Pentecostal tradition. But also, because the churches were so segregated, then that tradition developed itself. After emancipation, many Gospel songs moved across the US, as rural black southerners moved north to cities looking for work. And these styles of celebration in the church quickly spread across America. To have a sense of singing together through harmony, but also through this uplifting spiritual message that brought people together and was an early form of black power and black pride; that’s really what Gospel was about. Featuring clips of Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston Journalists/critics include Will Hodgkinson (The Times), Sunta Templeton (Radio X), John Aizlewood (Evening Standard).

Scandi Invasion (Rock Legends, Season 11)

3DD Entertainment

Sweden alone is the world’s third biggest export of music, and for such a small area, this is kind of incredible. Since the 1970s, Scandinavia has had this incredible propensity to pump out catchy sing-along Pop songs; far greater than any other European country; singing in English Scandi-Pop is a very specific type of Pop music. It merges the European schlager, which is a sort of European folk music, which has a very melancholy, undertone to it, with bright, breezy, upbeat Pop. Featuring clips Abba, A-Ha, Ace Of Base, Roxette. Journalists/critics include Will Hodgkinson (The Times), Sunta Templeton (Radio X), John Aizlewood (Evening Standard).

Aaron Copland: A Self-Portrait

Ruth Leon

Copland himself is the key explicator of his own extraordinary musical career, from piano lessons in Brooklyn and study with Nadia Boulanger, a fling as a wild-eyed modernist, and finally to his preeminence in the American musical world. The program features a wealth of Copland music, including ballet sequences with Agnes de Mille dancing in Rodeo and Martha Graham in Appalachian Spring, scenes of Copland conducting, and interviews with Leonard Bernstein and Ned Rorem, who said of Copland, "He invented out of whole cloth what it means to be American." Written by Vivian Perlis and produced by Ruth Leon. (58 minutes)

Joaquin Rodrigo's Century—in Spanish with English Subtitles

DeA Planeta

Refined, luminous, and fundamentally optimistic, the music of Joaquín Rodrigo is a tribute to the rich and varied cultures of Spain. Filmed on location throughout Europe, this captivating program profiles the influential Spanish composer whose life spanned the 20th century and whose works set the standard for guitar technique in modern Spanish music. Performance clips from his Concierto de Aranjuez, Fantasia para un Gentilhombre, Concierto Andaluz, and other compositions let the music speak, while interviews with many who knew him—family members, fellow composers, musicians, biographers—provide a verbal counterpoint. (Spanish with English subtitles, 55 minutes)

Part 1: Gumbo (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

The story of jazz begins in New Orleans, 19th-century America’s most cosmopolitan city. Here, in the 1890s, African-American artists created a new music out of ragtime syncopations, Caribbean rhythms, marching band instrumentation, and the soulful feeling of the blues. This program introduces the pioneers of this revolutionary art form: half-mad cornet player Buddy Bolden, pianist Jelly Roll Morton, clarinet prodigy Sidney Bechet, trumpet virtuoso Freddie Keppard, and others. Viewers learn that while the early jazz players roamed the country in the years before World War I, few people outside New Orleans had a chance to hear the new music—until 1917, when a group of white musicians from New Orleans, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, arrived in New York to make the first jazz recording. The Jazz Age was about to begin. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Part 4: The True Welcome (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

With farms and factories falling victim to the Great Depression, jazz was one of the few American industries poised for explosive growth. This program explores the art form during the first half of the decade, a period in which New York City usurped Chicago as America’s jazz capital, Louis Armstrong revolutionized Broadway songcraft, and Chick Webb forged his big-band sound at the Savoy Ballroom. Viewers also learn of pianists Fats Waller and Art Tatum, who dazzled audiences with stunning virtuosity; of Duke Ellington’s ongoing compositional artistry, praised in many quarters as rivaling Stravinsky’s work in sophistication; of Benny Goodman’s adventures in nationwide broadcasting, which showcased not only his own talents but the stunning arrangements of Fletcher Henderson; and of Goodman’s swinging triumph at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Part 6: Swing: The Velocity of Celebration (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

As the 1930s drew to a close, swing mania was still going strong, but some fans were saying success had made the music too predictable. Their ears were tuned to a new sound, suffused with the blues—the Kansas City sound of Count Basie’s band, which ignited new musical adventures. By 1938, Basie and his men were helping Benny Goodman bring jazz to Carnegie Hall. Soon Basie’s lead saxophonist, Lester Young, was challenging Coleman Hawkins for supremacy, then teaming up with Billie Holiday for a series of recordings that revealed them as musical soul mates—although Holiday eventually wound up back in New York, pouring outrage into the antilynching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” With war looming in Europe, Duke Ellington was hailed as a hero and Coleman Hawkins startled the world with a glimpse of what jazz would become. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Part 7: Dedicated to Chaos (Ken Burns: Jazz)

Ken Burns

When America entered World War II, jazz became part of the arsenal, with bandleaders like Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw taking their swing to troops overseas. For many black Americans, however, that sound had a hollow ring. Segregated at home and in uniform, they found themselves fighting for liberties their own country denied them—as when authorities padlocked the integrated Savoy Ballroom. Still, jazz answered the call. Duke Ellington sold war bonds and premiered the tone portrait Black, Brown, and Beige as a benefit for war relief. But underground, jazz was still evolving. In a Harlem club called Minton’s Playhouse, trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker had discovered a new way of playing—fast, intricate, and sometimes chaotic. Once “bebop” broke loose, jazz would never be the same. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Part of the series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. (110 minutes)

Aaliyah: So Much More than a Woman

MVD Entertainment Group

This compelling video presents the inspiring, but tragic life story of Aaliyah, a world-famous singer, actress, and model who first rose to stardom at age 15 and was later killed in a plane crash in 2001. An R&B vocal performer destined for success from a young age, Aaliyah began her career at the age of 11 singing backing vocals for soul legend Gladys Knight. She went on to record her debut album, 1994's platinum selling Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, before finishing high school. In her brief career she recorded a total of four albums and collaborated with some of today's most credible urban artists. This program is the complete and unauthorized biography of Aaliyah, containing exclusive and previously unseen film footage, including in-depth interviews with those that worked closely with Aaliyah during her career, including journalists, producers, engineers, and more. (62 minutes)

Cecil Taylor: All the Notes

MVD Entertainment Group

Cecil Taylor is the grand master of free-jazz piano. Chris Felver's All the Notes captures in breezy fashion the unconventional stance of this media-shy modern musical genius, regarded as one of the true giants of postwar music. Taylor is first seen musing over Santiago Calatrava's fleecy architecture—typical of the pianist's famed eclectic interests, which extend from soloing, combo, and small orchestra work to spoken word performance. Seated at his beloved and battered piano in his Brooklyn brownstone, the maestro holds court with frequent stentorian pronouncements on life, art, and music. A massively interesting documentary on a true icon. (72 minutes)

Duke Ellington: Swing Era—In Hollywood

MVD Entertainment Group

This video compiles various short- and medium-length films starring the great Duke Ellington and his orchestra, including Black and Tan from 1929; Symphony in Black from 1935—featuring the famous sequence with Billie Holiday; and three scenes starring Mae West in Belle of the Nineties from 1934, among many other musical sequences from major motion pictures. (60 minutes)

Duke Ellington: The Big Band Feeling

MVD Entertainment Group

This 1952 recording includes two performances of Duke Ellington and his orchestra—from January 7 and August 12—featuring 12 of his signature pieces, including "Sophisticated Lady," "Caravan," "The Mooch," "VP's Boogie," "Solitude," "Mood Indigo," "The Hawk Talks," "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," "Bli-Blip," "Flamingo," "Hot Chocolate," ("Cottontail") and "C Jam Blues." (43 minutes)

Sun Ra: Magic Sun

MVD Entertainment Group

This classic of experimental underground filmmaking by Phill Niblock features rare and exclusive footage, photos, and recordings of pianist Sun Ra and the members of his Solar Arkestra. Shot in the 1960s, when the Arkestra was based in New York, the film was produced using a unique negative process and ultra-tight close-ups on the moving hands and mouths of the musicians. The result is a virtually abstract music film, mastered from a new print in all its incredibly sharp black and white glory.

The Making of Sun City

Globalvision

With Nelson Mandela still in prison after two decades and human rights abuses growing worse, more than 50 popular musicians came together in the summer of 1985 to take a stand against state-sanctioned racism in South Africa. “Artists United Against Apartheid” recorded an album to broadcast their boycott of the lavish Sun City resort, located scant miles from poverty-stricken communities suffering under the racist regime. This classic program is an expanded version of the original 1986 film that documented the recording of the Sun City album. The video features Steven Van Zandt, Miles Davis, Bono, Run-DMC, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock, and many, many others singing the anthemic “Sun City” chorus and explaining why they chose to take part in the protest. (60 minutes)

Radiohead: OK Computer--Classic Album Under Review

MVD Entertainment Group

Radiohead sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, with the band's work being placed highly in both listener polls and critics' lists. Consisting of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwood (bass), Phil Selway (drums, percussion) and Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992. The song was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, “Pablo Honey”. The band’s popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album, “The Bends” In 1995. But the release of their third album, “OK Computer” in 1997is often acclaimed as one of the landmark records of the 1990s. Part two of the series Radiohead. (59 minutes)

The Last Stop Hotel

MVD Entertainment Group

Many would claim that the music Elvis Presley made towards the end of his life paled in comparison with that he made in the 1950s. But, as is often the case in the King's career, re-appraisal of those later performances and recordings reveal a passion and vitality as charged in “The Wonder of You,” and “Burning Love,” as existed in “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” (55 minutes)

Sun Ra Arkestra: Points on a Space Age

MVD Entertainment Group

This film explores the 2006–2007 activity of the remaining members of the Sun Ra Arkestra—an experimental big band formed in the mid 1950s around the teachings of musician, philosopher, and spiritualist Sun Ra. Believing that he was sent to this planet to prepare us for a future centered around space travel and the human capacity to evolve with the ever-changing demands of a highly technological world, Sun Ra attracted bandmates who also became his disciples, companions, and sometimes even housemates. The band would typically rehearse for eight hours, break only for teachings, and then go out and play gigs—a practice that continued for about 30 years until Sun Ra "left the planet" in 1993. Points on a Space Age examines the work of the Arkestra in the physical absence of Sun Ra—how under the direction of longtime member Marshall Allen the band maintains an active touring schedule and continues to recruit younger members into the Sun Ra lifestyle. Using an approach as experimental as that of the Arkestra's sound, this film offers insight into one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. (32 minutes)

Dinah Washington and Friends: Swing Era

MVD Entertainment Group

Gathering material from early in her career, this film offers a fascinating portrait of the young Dinah Washington. Having just been discovered by bandleader Lionel Hampton, she was then focused mainly on jazzy, torrid R&B numbers. Featuring a range of clips and appearances from such legendary venues as Harlem's Apollo Theater, this essential document will surprise and delight today's many fans of the beloved Dinah Washington. The video has been completed with a selection of Soundies from Martha Davis, Ruth Brown, Dorothy Dandridge, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and other female vocalists from the ’40s and ’50s. (59 minutes)

Singing Paris: The City of Lights in 20th-Century French Music

Insomnia

Songs about a certain time and place are more than sentimental musings—they also serve as departure points for cultural and sociological studies. This program uses popular 20th-century French music to explore the rich character and modern-era development of Paris. Juxtaposing commentary from French scholars, performers, and business leaders with classic recordings by Edith Piaf, Brigitte Bardot, Maurice Chevalier, and other artists, the film sheds light on the evolution of Paris and its component districts since the early 1900s. It also examines the special qualities that have made Paris a hub of art and fashion for centuries and the specific ways in which both Parisians and foreigners view the city. Contains brief nudity.

Joseph-Maurice Ravel (A Concise Biography)

Academy Media

This installment of the Famous Composers series introduces the life and work of French composer Joseph-Maurice Ravel. Opening with pictures and a description of the composer's birthplace, the seaport of Ciboure in Basque country, the film characterizes Ravel's childhood and family as modest but pleasant. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris at 14, and while he was a piano major, he was also greatly influenced by literature, and the film discusses how Poe, Baudelaire, and Mallarme touch his work. He struggled in the Conservatoire, and the conservative professors found him too radical. Along with one of his great influences, Debussy, Ravel became a leader of the French avant-garde. The film also discusses Ravel's involvement in WWI and how the experience and post-war world shaped his music. (37 minutes)

Ray Phiri

LONDON FILMS

His fans call Chikapa Ray Phiri "the prophet," in tribute to the burning intensity of his music, and the flame of social consciousness that keeps it alight. He and his group, Stimela (Steam Train), stoke the sound of a nation torn between apartheid's legacy of suffering and the vision of a new, free South Africa. This program traces Phiri's life from his poor roots as the son of a laborer, to co-arranger of Paul Simon's successful South African music album, Graceland. Between footage of performances, Phiri explains his music as a key to self-discovery, an outlet for personal and political frustration, and an inspiration for change. (25 minutes)

Color

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Painting and poetry became more abstract during the latter part of the 19th century, and music was not slow in following. This program looks at music's movement away from melody toward a greater emphasis on tone color or timbre-the warm palette of sounds an orchestra can create. Works from Debussy, Boulez, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Takemitsu are used to show how traditional musical forms have been sidelined in the interests of pure quality of sound. (52 minutes)

Bartok, Shostakovich, Lutoslawski: Three Journeys Through Dark Landscapes

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

This program examines the effect of political upheaval in Eastern Europe on the music of Bartok, Shostakovich, and Lutoslawski. We see how the composers, in spite of adverse political pressures, managed to develop their own musical language in such works of triumphant originality and power as Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4, Lutoslawsky's Venetian Games, and others. (52 minutes)

Land of Our Fathers

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PROD LTD

Nationalism soon led to a recognition of the classical value of folksong, and an attempt to express in music the language, landscape, and musical traditions of the composer’s own country. Contents include excerpts from: Smetana’s Ma Vlast; Dvorák’s String Quartet in E-Flat, Symphony No. 9 (‘The New World’); Ives’ Three Places in New England; Janacek’s Katya Kabanova; Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite; de Falla’s Homage at the Tomb of Debussy; Vaughan Williams’ London Symphony; Kodály’s Hary János Suite; Sibelius’ Finlandia, Symphony No. 2. (58 minutes)

Futurism: The Art/Life Revolution

Overcom SRL

Following an automobile accident in the Milanese countryside, poet Filippo Marinetti experienced a form of artistic catharsis. He quickly founded the Futurist movement, shunning all ties to tradition and embracing the dynamic technological landscape of a brand new century. Marinetti and his entourage also became associated with violence, misogyny, and Fascism, and as a result Futurism now resides along an isolated thread within the vibrant tapestry of 20th-century art, design, theatre, and literature. But it is precisely because of its anomalous place in the canon that Futurism offers so many intriguing opportunities for study. This program combines vivid dramatizations, forceful voice-overs of Marinetti’s writings, and a wealth of archival material as it tells the story of Futurism and its problematic cultural legacy. Interviews with numerous critics and scholars are also included. (53 minutes)

From Mambo to Hip-Hop: A Bronx Tale

MVD Entertainment Group

From Mambo to Hip-Hop: A Bronx Tale is a documentary that tells a story about the creative life of the South Bronx, beginning with the Puerto Rican migration and the adoption of Cuban rhythms to create the New York salsa sound; continuing with the fires that destroyed the neighborhood; chronicling the rise of hip hop from the ashes; and ending with reflections on the power of the neighborhood's music to ensure the survival of several generations of its residents. (124 minutes)

Eric Clapton: The 1960s Review

MVD Entertainment Group

While few would argue that Eric Clapton is one of the finest guitarists of all time, it is often forgotten just how influential this man was during the 1960s. While Clapton has remained a musician and songwriter of rare ability, it was during the decade of his emergence that his awesome skills were used most creatively. As an early member of the Yardbirds, a crucial part of the Bluesbreakers, a founding member of Cream and “the one who mattered most” in the short lived Blind Faith, to many, he was a deity. In this film, his life and career over these ten years is put under the microscope, and with the help of archive interviews with the man himself, exclusive contributions from friends, bandmates and colleagues, rare and classic performance footage, and seldom seen photographs, the story in question is told in a manner as never before. (136 minutes)

Thelonious Monk: Playful Keys

NBD Television Limited

The musical language and highly idiosyncratic style of Thelonious Monk-so avant-garde in its day-is in many ways still considered avant-garde today. This program seeks to understand Monk's innovative music by tracing the Harlem-born jazzman's career. His childhood debut as accompanist for a touring preacher, years of searching for his own style, gradual acceptance by the public who had neglected him, eventual critical acclaim as a musical genius, and decline into mental illness are explored. (25 minutes)

On the Battlefield: Gospel Quartets

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Spirituals have been described both as the literature of American slavery and as the jewels that the slaves brought out of bondage. Today, the harmony, percussive precision, and evangelical fervor of gospel music have made it a hit all around the world. This program spotlights two venerable groups—The Sterling Jubilee Singers and The Four Eagle Gospel Singers—and climaxes with a Sunday gospel quartet celebration. Additional performers include the all-woman Harps of Melody, The Birmingham Sunlites, and The Pattersonaires. (60 minutes)

Legends of Rhythm and Blues

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Breaking away from the well-traveled blues trail connecting the Mississippi Delta with Chicago, this program searches for fresh insights about R&B in an entirely different direction: the migratory route that runs from the South to the California coast, where work opportunities abounded during World War II. With its jazzy instrumentation and strong gospel flavor, R&B spread like wildfire, eventually becoming a fundamental element of rock ’n’ roll. Performers include Big Mama Thornton, Joe Liggins, Lowell Fulson, Lloyd Glenn, Charles Brown, Big Jay McNeely, and Margie Evans. (60 minutes)

Sit Down and Listen: The Story of Max Roach

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

At the age of 12 he got his first drum set—and by 19 was the hottest drummer on the New York bebop scene. In this program, the incomparable Max Roach reflects on his lifelong career in music. Footage of the renowned musician, bandleader, composer, and professor in the studio, on tour, and behind the podium sheds light on his many talents. Additional performers include Cecil Bridgewater, Odean Pope, Tyron Brown, the all-star M’Boom Percussion Ensemble, and the Swedenborg String Quartet. (56 minutes)

Rap: Looking for the Perfect Beat

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Rap music has articulated a black aesthetic that is influencing pop culture around the world. But does it also promote violence, misogyny, and crime? This program featuring rap master Melle Mel describes the history of rap and hip-hop from its roots in earlier oral and musical traditions to its full flowering in the mid-1990s. Commentary by Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, rap’s early innovators; music critic Nelson George, author of hiphopamerica; radical jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron; movie star and rapper Ice Cube; former gangsta rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg; members of Public Enemy, Arrested Development, and the jazz/hip-hop fusion group UFO; and others speak out about the urban African-American experience, civil rights, social responsibility, and other pressing topics. Clips from music videos provide a visual perspective on the genre. Some images and lyrics may be objectionable. (53 minutes)

The Roots of 20th-Century Music: Dancing on a Volcano

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

This program describes a great musical culture in decline in turn-of-the-century Vienna, and discusses how that decline led to the musical revolution whose reverberations are still felt today. Names like Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg still strike terror in the hearts of many concert-goers. With the help of Simon Rattle, however, we hear in their powerful, brooding music the collapse of the Austro-Germanic order, the rise of Fascism, and the portents of the new music to come in the latter part of the 20th century. (52 minutes)

Ella Fitzgerald: The Singer, Not the Song

NBD Television Limited

A master of swing and scat with pop/jazz crossover appeal, Ella Fitzgerald could outsing just about anyone. Her 60-year career—launched at 17 when she won an amateur singing contest at the Apollo Theater—saw her rise from a life of poverty to become an enduring icon of American music. This program, an examination of Fitzgerald’s captivating music within the context of her eventful life, amply illustrates why recordings of this beloved diva continue to enchant listeners today. (25 minutes)

Olivier Messiaen: The Music of Faith

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Olivier Messiaen played a leading role in the evolution of 20th-century music. In this classic interview, the late composer talks on topics such as his love of nature and his fervent Christian faith, two themes that profoundly shaped his work; his views on rhythm and tonal color; his relationship with his mother, the poet Cecile Sauvage; and his professorship at the Paris Conservatoire. Film clips of Messiaen improvising on the organ and notating birdsong for his compositions-plus excerpts of his music, some of which are performed by his wife, the celebrated pianist Yvonne Loriod-provide a deeper appreciation of his special genius. (79 minutes)