2. The Gift: 1917-1924 (2001)
How can one explain the genius of a Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington? Blessed with skill and talent far exceeding their peers, one can only define what they possess as a gift from the gods. These early portraits are imperative, because both figures have been so canonized that it is easy to forget the significance of their gifts.
Release date: 2001-01-09
User rating:
8.4 / 10
5 votes
Season number: 1
Episode number: 2
Runtime: 109 minutes
Director: Ken Burns
Cast
Keith David
as Narrator (voice)
Louis Armstrong
as Self (archive footage)
Duke Ellington
as Self (archive footage)
Benny Goodman
as Self (archive footage)
Artie Shaw
as Self (archive footage)
Billie Holiday
as Self (archive footage)
Glenn Miller
as Self (archive footage)
Dave Brubeck
as Self (archive footage)
John Coltrane
as Self (archive footage)
Art Blakey
as Self (archive footage)
Charles Mingus
as Self (archive footage)
Wynton Marsalis
as Self
Miles Davis
as Self (archive footage)
Stanley Crouch
as Self
Rest of the cast - click here to expand
Sidney Bechet - Self (archive footage), Art Tatum - Self (archive footage), Lester Young - Self (archive footage)