And, through visits and performances with guests Milt Jackson, Charles McPherson, Tommy Flanagan, and Roy Haynes, we discover how musicians go about constructing their solos, and some of the things they think about when they're doing it. The finest solos can inspire and enrich the musician and the listener. Some of the greatest recorded solos in the history of the music are considered, featuring the work of such giants as John Coltrane, Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk. Together they give us some clues to what to listen for in a great solo. Percussionists Elvin Jones, Louie Bellson, Kenny Washington, Roy Haynes, and Paul Motian help give a fuller understanding of the paramount role of the drums in jazz music, and they guide Wynton Marsalis through the music of Art Blakey, Sid Catlett, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Greer, and Max Roach.
Jazz insists on the unique expression of individual character in a way no other music does.
We hear some of the early work of Miles Davis, and trace his rapid development into one of the most influential American artists of his time. The most popular evolution of contemporary jazz music is rarely treated seriously. Wynton Marsalis guides us through the development of fusion, which joined jazz music with elements of rock and funk, and shows why it was necessary. The music of Miles Davis, Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams' Lifetime, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Weather Report help illustrate the rhythms and electronic sounds that made fusion popular, with discussion from Joe Zawinul, Pat Metheny, Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Marcus Miller. In conversation and performance, Wynton Marsalis demonstrates how jazz is a truly American expression, evoking our sense of spirit, possibility and freedom.