You can hear the whole history of the piano. Jelly Roll's music is always going to be at the forefront because It just has all of the components to compose the stew that you want. There's riffs there, there's call and response there. All of the pianists on this program whose music I'm exploring had a very, very deep love for classical music and of course were influenced by it in their own playing. The first thing that swing is is the feeling of hope and optimism that you have in American music.
Blues is a bit more complex.
My approach to the melody was to think of the great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. To produce that sound in addition to what Ellington proposed. Please send us your questions or comments about the program, the web site, or online features. Jazz From Lincoln Center, All Rights Reserved.