Until viewing this documentary I thought it utterly fantastic that jazz could be boring. That belief was shattered by Ken Burns' disappointing "Jazz". Though it certainly contains immensely valuable archival footage, the mini-series as a whole is no more than traditionalist propaganda.
By all means, go to a jazz concert! Read Amiri Baraka's [LeRoi Jones'] "Blues People" & "Black Music" and Angela Davis' "Blues Legacies and Black Feminism" or Miles Davis' or Duke Ellington's memoirs. There are many other, better ways to learn about this uniquely American art form that abstain from this labored attempt to impose a narrow view of the jazz ideal (I mean how many *hours* of screen time should Wynton Marsalis really have?).
Those with an appreciation for the music and footage used in "Jazz" will either enjoy the rarities or laugh at the pompous presentation (or both). Those unfamiliar with anything related to jazz should know that this series presents a very slanted view of history. The lack of any objectivity led to critics almost universally panning "Jazz" on its release.
By all means, go to a jazz concert! Read Amiri Baraka's [LeRoi Jones'] "Blues People" & "Black Music" and Angela Davis' "Blues Legacies and Black Feminism" or Miles Davis' or Duke Ellington's memoirs. There are many other, better ways to learn about this uniquely American art form that abstain from this labored attempt to impose a narrow view of the jazz ideal (I mean how many *hours* of screen time should Wynton Marsalis really have?).
Those with an appreciation for the music and footage used in "Jazz" will either enjoy the rarities or laugh at the pompous presentation (or both). Those unfamiliar with anything related to jazz should know that this series presents a very slanted view of history. The lack of any objectivity led to critics almost universally panning "Jazz" on its release.