PBS’ The Jazz Ambassadors

May 6, 2018 / No Comments / Tags: pbs

Discover how the Cold War and Civil Rights movement collided when America asked Dizzy Gillespie and American Masters Louis ArmstrongDuke Ellington and Benny Goodman to travel as cultural ambassadors and combat racially-charged Soviet propaganda through their music. Narrated by Leslie Odom, Jr., the new PBS documentary The Jazz Ambassadors features a new interview with American Master Quincy Jones, striking archival film footage, photos, radio clips, and iconic performances. The film is directed by Peabody Award winner Hugo Berkeley (Land RushA Normal Life) and produced by Mick Csáky (American Masters — Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll).