Jazz by Ken Burns and PBS-Midterm

I wrote a preview to this show based on what little a could find in my local paper and my knowledge of Burn's too previous works: The Civil War and Baseball. These were works of art based on love.

Burns does it again with "Jazz". I am a 54 year old lifetime jazz fan and I've learned a lot from this series in its first six episodes. As in his other series, Burns uses thousands of still photos and in this series film clips and sound bites.

While Burns mentions and shows a number of jazz greats, the biggest emphasis so far has been on Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. No argument from me as these two men were the basis of most of the jazz we hear.

The series is now concentrating on the Swing Era and has had excellent chapters on Benny Goodman, Chick Webb and Count Basie. Lady Day and Ella have also been featured as has the incredible Count Basie and his Kansas City sound.

Burns also uses "talking heads" as he calls them and the star of this group is Wynton Marsalis, one of the greatest trumpeters in history and also one of jazz's greatest historians. Wynton' enthusiasm for the subject and his ability to pick up his modernistic trumpet and blast like Louis or Bix or Sweets with no accompaniment is amazing.

I do have one criticism of the show. It overemphasizes early jazz at the expense of jazz since 1960. This may be explained to us in later episodes but only one of the ten shows is devoted to post 1960 music. It could be argued that 1960 onward is not yet history but I disagree. This show should be for all generations and many of our fellow citizens were born after 1960.

I'm sorry about that griping. I should be and indeed I am extremely grateful that Ken Burns has devoted so much effort to the music I love. I also appreciate PBS and the sponsors of the show. Maybe, just maybe, jazz after 1960 will be the subject of a future series.

We are all winners, however, if we set aside time to watch the masterpiece of educational television. Thank you, Mr. Burns.