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The Truth about Jazz

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The Truth About Jazz

Clive Myrie examines the stories of protest, politics and diplomacy behind jazz.

Clive Myrie examines the stories of protest, politics and diplomacy behind jazz - from its roots in New Orleans and early pioneers like Buddy Bolden through to the songs of protest written and performed by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and many others.

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The Truth about Jazz: The roots of jazz

The roots of jazz

BBC Radio 4 - The Truth about Jazz, The roots of jazz

Clive Myrie  examines the early roots of jazz in New Orleans and hears early protest songs

Broadcaster and jazz enthusiast Clive Myrie examines the early roots of jazz in New Orleans and looks at the inspiration for some of the early protest songs.

Clive Myrie charts the early roots of jazz in the late 19th and early 20th Century. The programme visits the jazz museum in New Orleans and hears about the early jazz pioneers like Buddy Bolden. Clive meets Robert Meeropol, the adopted son of Abel Meeropol who wrote the original poem that Billie Holiday's seminal protest song Strange Fruit was based on. He also hears the story behind the 1929 song Black and Blue. Mercedes Ellington remembers Black, Brown and Beige - her grandfather Duke Ellington’s 1943 creation for his first concert at Carnegie Hall.

Producers: Ashley Byrne and Wayne Wright.

The Truth About Jazz is a Made in Manchester Production, originally produced for the BBC World Service.

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