Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns

soulful, inspiring, only slightly flawed

of course people are going to criticize this documentary -- jazz, and jazz musicians, are hotly debated. in spite of all the arguments over it, burns' documentary is a fascinating voyage through jazz history, offering rare footage and photographs of the people and places that shaped jazz. i agree that there is too much focus on armstrong and ellington, and not enough on miles, coltrane, and bird -- but that doesn't render the entire documentary worthless in my eyes. burns does an excellent job of matching the background music with the photographs and narration, and the narrative flow of the episodes is gripping. the story of jazz is definintely a distinctly american story, and one that every person in our country should know. the best part about the documentary is that all generations of people are watching, and reminiscing. my grandmother and mother are both following the series, and telling stories about where they were at the time certain bands were popular. it's really opening up a dialogue among different generations. i think ken burns has created a lasting piece of art with this documentary.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

6 Stars

Being a jazz musician myself, I totally enjoyed every minute of this documentary, which is extremely thorough and enlightening. Anyone who wants to learn more about the development of American music absolutely must see this. There is no denying that jazz, especially the blues, has influenced almost every modern form of music there is, and this documentary certainly gives one an appreciation for those musicians who paved the way. The commentators, Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Crouch, and Gary Giddins, do a marvelous job of providing insight, especially Marsalis, who demonstrates a great depth of knowledge of jazz history. I especially enjoyed Marsalis¿ trumpet interludes, where he closely emulated the sounds of various musicians from different eras, showing the time he has spent closely studying and listening to recordings of his jazz forefathers. The coverage of the foundations of jazz, of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and other jazz giants is very well done, and not only is the information comprehensive, but the photos, background music, and narration are all masterfully done. The only drawback I saw was the lack of coverage of younger jazz musicians, but there are so many talented up and coming jazz talents that covering every influential jazz artist ever would have turned this documentary into a 50-hour marathon. At 19-hours, the documentary is extensive enough, and there is not a minute wasted. Overall, this documentary is jam-packed with intriguing stories about the development of jazz, and is an absolute must-see.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Better than a college class

This series ran the same time I was taking a history of jazz class in college with a teacher that was more of a jazz musician than a professor. I was thrilled to come home each night and go much more indepth than what we had covered that day. It made jazz more interesting as well as a lot easier to learn. If I would have known about this series earlier, I would have spent the money on the videos and taken ceramics. Ken Burns has a way of drawing the viewer in and making it impossible to get bored or side tracked while watching. A must for anyone who wants to learn about jazz or anyone who thinks they already know all there is to know about it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Simply the Best

This is an enjoyable history of jazz. It starts before the turn of the century and ends in the late 60's (token coverage of the modern jazz giants). The presentation is flawless. A must see for those interested in jazz and Black history in the 20th century.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The spirit of American Music is alive and well in Ken Burns' masterful portrayal of the music born out of the American experience

Although I have only caught snippets of Mr. Burns' fabulous documentary about Jazz, I have to say it makes me wonder why the music of today has become stagnant, yes even the Jazz of today. Not that all the music is bad, we still have some artists who will become legends like the Beatles, Sting, Acoustic Alchemy and the like, but most music today does not move us like the music created by the artists depicted in the documentary, like Satchmo, the Duke, the Count, the Bird, and Dizzy. These musicians created a sound that no matter who we are, what color, or creed, or political affiliation, or religious beliefs, or musical inclinations we have, whether classical, country, or other, we can not help but to physically move and snap our fingers. The Power of the music notwithstanding, the documentary does bring to light the horrible american past. I am in my forties, and I still can not believe that this sociopathic behavior of a nation was, in the scheme of our history, only but a few years ago, (and sadly it still exists, perhaps not as vicious as then, but it is still here). Burns Juxtaposes the beauty of Jazz and the ugliness of Racism, and succeeds in giving us another piece of that which we call America. Great Job Mister Burns.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ken Burns Jazz

Done in usual Ken Burns style. Thorough, entertaining, well laid out. Thanks for a great series.

...And That's What Jazz Music Is

I've always wanted to take a systematic look at Jazz and, accordingly, dutifully watched all 18 hours of Ken Burns's documentary. I don't feel that my investment of time was well-served, and I even feel that my good faith as a viewer was abused by those with an agenda to serve. The ultimate irony is that this documentary took away from an appreciation for the music that I already had. Indeed, watching this uninspired, academic, and surprisingly old-fashioned treatment of jazz came to feel, by the series' end, like a chore. That's not going to get me listening to the music, which is what a series like this ought to inspire. I felt held hostage by pedantic and arrogant commentators: Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Crouch, Gary Giddins. These three, upon whom Burns relies extensively to tell his story, bring to their editorializing a preachy, self-serving tone that feels, at times, as if they are trying to will jazz back into mainstream appreciation. They all know that jazz doesn't enjoy the popularity it once did, and their tacit assumption seems to be that hyperbole and unsubstantiated declarations of genius are all that's needed to transport us back to the swing era. Marsalis is fond of saying: ''...and that's what jazz music is.'' You'd be flat drunk if you devised a drinking game around the various permutations of that phrase that come out of Marsalis's mouth. He is also just humorlous and pious to the point of absolute tedium. I found myself cringing every time I heard his voice and knowing that Burns would give him free reign yet again. Ditto for Giddins. Giddins, more intellectual than Marsalis, plays fast and loose with the word ''genius.'' That word really tells me nothing other than that Giddins himself worships these musicians; it doesn't help me to understand or appreciate their contributions at all. It's as if by merely calling people geniuses (Armstrong, Ellington -- everyone), Giddins thinks that he can recruit us and make jazz lovers of us. It'll take more than that. Crouch, finally, is just plain ridiculous. Anyone who's ever read his liner notes on jazz albums knows that he wields his supposed cultural authority with broad sweeps and absurd generalities. It all comes back to everyone being a genius. They say that Jazz is dead. I almost found myself wishing for that -- if for no other reason than just to shut up these three insufferable and pompous bores. Calling something ''boring'' is almost as vague as calling Louis Armstrong a ''genius.'' It's hard to back up, and one man's boredom is another's delight. For those, however, who would prefer fact over PR and a balance of commentators who were really there (as opposed to Marsalis, who is just worshipping his heroes), I can tell you that this documentary -- at 18 hours! -- will be as boring as Armstrong surely is, by any measure, a genius.

No text was provided for this review.