Toby Byron

Masters of American Music is a multi-award-winning television series, as entertaining and memorable as it is educational, it is a must have for any true music fan. The series celebrates a pantheon of the greatest musical innovators with individual programmes tracing the lives and works of master musicians who defined the course of American’s musical history. From the birth of the blues in New Orleans to Swing, Big Band, Bebop, Free Jazz and beyond – all of this rich tapestry is explored with sensitivity and unique depth. The featured artists come to life through conversations with their contemporaries, exciting and rare live performances, period footage and vintage photographs, all of which have been meticulously produced.

On April 5, 1968, soul legend James Brown performed a concert in Boston that many say shielded that city from the kinds of devastating riots that ripped other cities apart after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Blues as a genre shaped the sound of jazz in the early 20th century and directly led to the creation of rock 'n' roll in the '50s. The scales, chords, and progressions of blues as a musical form can be found in styles from jazz to rock to contemporary R&B.

This remarkable DVD includes rare TV and film performances, an especially rare radio interview with Mike Wallace, an audio-only rehearsal session with pianist Jimmy Rowles, audio interviews with friends and fellow musicians, an interactive timeline and an evocative photo-document gallery featuring hundreds of dates and images, from rare photos to personal letters, plus Lady Day's complete recording history for major record companies. Performance highlights include three from 1956's 'Stars Of Jazz' TV that are seen here for the first time since their original broadcast, Holiday's first appearance on film, Duke Ellington's "Saddest Tale," and the classic "Fine And Mellow" with Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and other jazz greats.

The World According to John Coltrane is a documentary film about saxophonist John Coltrane

1. Koko Taylor - I'm Ready 2. Big Bill Morganfield - I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man 3. Keb Mo - I Can't Be Satisfied 4. Keb Mo - Two Trains Running 5. Bo Diddley - I'm A Man 6. Phoebe Snow - Just To Be With You 7. John Hyatt - Big Legged Woman 8. M. Shannon - Gypsy Woman 9. George "Buddy" Guy - Make A Woman Feel Satisfied 10. Robert Lockwood Jr. - Mean Black Spider 11. Nick Gravenites - Forty Days And Forty Nights 12. Peter Wolfe - Rollin'And Tumblin' 13. Koko Taylor - Long Distance Call 14. Gregg Allman - Someday Baby 15. Big Bill Morganfield - Mojo 16. Remember Muddy

Through a more personal and conversational style of documentary, Thelonious Monk – American Composer was the first fully rounded portrait of this terribly misunderstood man and musician. He was the pianistic ringleader of the bebop revolution and, after Duke Ellington, jazz' first major composer. Thelonious Sphere Monk – a most original talent – remained a highly productive musician after more than thirty years of musical activity and continued to be a growing artist, exploring his art and extending his range.