The Documentary Channel is celebrating the metamorphosis of the contemporary jazz world via a four-part series.
Presented by the network, Paradigm Studio and Don Q Rum, in association with Rums of Puerto Rico, Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense bows on April 20 at 9 p.m., with installments premiering the next three Mondays.
Icons Among Us, directed by Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson and Peter J. Vogt and executive-produced by John Comerford, examines the jazz music scene today by focusing the spotlight on many current jazz icons, including The Bad Plus, Terence Blanchard, Jason Moran, Ravi Coltrane, the Benevento-Russo Duo, Robert Glasper, Charlie Hunter, Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Medeski Martin and Wood. The films also feature the legendary predecessors and influences of today's contemporary jazz stars, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Wynton Marsalis.
The four one-hour Icons Among Us episodes are the result of seven years of interviews with more than 75 living jazz artists and more than 25 hours of live performances in popular venues across the U.S. and Europe.
The first installment titled "A Quiet Revolution" directly challenges perceptions of what jazz is and what it is becoming by examining its innovative new voices, as well as their influential forebears. Viewers will discover the primary questions associated with the jazz artists' quest to define themselves and their art form.
The second episode, "12 Notes In Real Time," is scheduled for April 27, followed by "Utopia" on May 4 and "Everything, Everywhere" on May 11.
"It's a real pleasure for The Documentary Channel to bring to our viewers a series of films that represent a fresh outlook on the evolution of jazz music and its significant impact on the world of music," said Tom Neff, CEO and founder of The Documentary Channel, in a statement. "John Comerford's documentary series gets to the heart of a genre that continues to progress in new and exciting ways."
