Ken Burns' Jazz, Episode One: Gumbo.

by

James Zaworski

I love jazz.  I adore jazz.  If I had a son, I would name him Satchmo.  I live and work in China, but I'm an American.  Sometimes I miss home, sometimes a lot.  When I feel in this way, I listen to my favorite music, jazz.  This helps to center me, to keep me going.  It always has.

I recently picked up Ken Burns' series, "Jazz", and just watched the first episode called "Gumbo".  I'm a historian as well as a lover of music, and so the history of jazz is dear to me.  Never had I been able to see and hear a documentary program that put the complicated origin of jazz put so succinctly, so incredibly precise, and so dear to me as in this particular program.

Talk about a perfect introduction to a documentary series, this one is it.  From the narration, the period photos, expert commentary and interviews to the music itself, this episode has it.  Oh man!

If you love jazz, and want to learn about its origins, pick this DVD up.
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