Documentary, Music | 01 September 1995

The Story of Jazz gives us just that, a panorama of the mode since its New Orleans inception right up to 50s and 60s free jazz and modern manifestations, compressing all into a fast-moving and engrossing 98 minutes zeroing in on historic authenticity. Along the way and all through the series, 80 prominent figures were interviewed—Dizzy, Brubeck, Lester Bowie, Tony Bennett, and a universe of others—giving intimate windows onto the daily nuts and bolts beneath historic chronologies. Then there are performance clips from Miles, the Duke, the Count, Mingus, and many giants of the genre.