10 episodes
KCCK's Soundtrack to the Struggle KCCK's Soundtrack to the Struggle
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- Music
Iowa's Jazz Station examines the role music and musicians have played in the fight for racial equality in this Black History Month Special.
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Soundtrack to the Struggle: Melba Liston – Blowin’ in the Doors
Although Melba Liston was a woman in a male-dominated profession, she excelled anyway. Some consider her an unsung hero and she is very highly regarded in and outside of the jazz community as a trailblazer, as a musician and as a woman. Melba Liston selected the trombone as her instrument because she thought it was … Continue reading
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Soundtrack to the Struggle: Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”
Early 1939. The lights go down at New York’s Cafe Society. The waiters hush the drinking audience, a single small spotlight shines on her face. And Billy Holiday begins to sing. “Southern trees, bears strange fruit blood on the leaves, blood at the root.” The song ends, and the spotlight goes out. Billy leaves the … Continue reading
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Soundtrack to the Struggle: Louis Armstrong – Caught Between Two Worlds
It’s 1925, and Louis Armstrong hits the music scene with a splash. With trumpet in hand and a wonderfully unique voice, he took on popular songs and stretched the boundaries of their rhythms and melodies so profoundly that American music hasn’t been the same since. Indeed, Louis Armstrong was America’s first “pop star,” whose appeal … Continue reading
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Soundtrack to the Struggle: Lester Young – The Fall of the President
September 1944, and saxophone legend Lester Young arrives at Fort McClellan, Alabama, for basic training. Young is a jazz star, and he expects to be placed in a military band, like white musicians Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw. Instead, he’s assigned to a combat unit. Here marks the beginning of the end for the “President … Continue reading
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Soundtrack to the Struggle: Lena Horn’s Sweet Voice for the People
Lena Horne left school at 16 to help support her family. She became a dancer at Harlem’s Cotton Club was soon a sought-after performer – a role she would maintain throughout her life. A long run at the Savoy-Plaza boosted Horne’s career even further. She was featured in Life magazine, and listed as the highest-paid … Continue reading
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Soundtrack to the Struggle: Nichelle Nichols’ Stellar Career
It’s 1967, and singer and actress Nichelle Nichols attends a fund-raiser for the NAACP. A man approaches and says, “Ms. Nichols, I’m your greatest fan.” That fan was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During their chat, Nichols confides her plans to leave her current TV gig for a career on Broadway. King was mortified. “You … Continue reading