By Amin Sharif

May 1, 2003

Miles Davis-A look at the jazz life of the legendary trumpeter (on Bravo)

May 2, 2003

Documentary: When I Fall in Love: The One and Only Nat King Cole: The singer's solos and duets on his 1950's TV series. (on PBS)

The 20 sparkling full length performances from The Nat King Cole Show featured on this DVD prove what a consummate artist Cole was, whether singing in his intimitable style or demonstrating his skills as a pianist. The track listing includes many Cole faovrites such as "When I Fall In Love", "Somewhere Along The Way", "Tenderly", "The Christmas Song", "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" and of course his signature tune "Mona Lisa". Several of the guests who appeared on the show are also featured in duets with Nat including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Oscar Peterson Trio, Johnny Mercer and the Mills Brothers. Between the songs there are interviews with Nat King Cole's wife Maria, his three daughters Natalie, Casey and Timolin, his brother Freddy, and with Bob Henry, the producer/director of the original series. The whole program is linked by narration from actor Dennis Haysbert.

Track Listing: 1. When I Fall In Love 2. Chicago 3. Just You, Just Me 4. Sweet Lorraine (with the Oscar Peterson Trio) 5. Somewhere Along The Way (with Sammy Davis, Jr.) 6. Caravan 7. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 8. I'm In The Mood For Love 9. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart 10. Crazy Rhythm 11. Opus One (with the Mills Brothers) 12. It's Only A Paper Moon 13. Too Close For Comfort 14. Tenderly 15. Mona Lisa 16. Almost Like Being In Love 17. Blueberry Hill (with Billy Preston) 18. Save The Bones For Henry Jones (with Johnny Mercer) 19. The Christmas Song 20. Sitting On Top Of The World

May 3, 2003

Freedom: A History of US -- A Fatal Contradiction -- Slavery, abolition movement; Frederick Douglass; Abraham Lincoln. (on PBS)

May 10, 2003

Freedom: A History of US -- A War to End Slavery-The Civil War; The Battle of Bull Run, Anitetam; Lincoln's assassination. (on PBS)

May 11, 2003

Documentary: Dancing To New Orleans -- A musical journey proceeds along the back roads of Louisiana. (on Bravo)

Having just 90 minutes to cover the music of Louisiana in general and New Orleans in particular might not seem sufficient, but director Michael Murphy is up to the task in this entertaining documentary. The subject is huge: this is, after all, the birthplace of jazz, the spawning ground (with neighbor Mississippi) of the blues, the home of zydeco king Clifton Chenier, the Neville Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and countless others, and the melting pot of African, European, and Caribbean cultures. But instead of focusing on the big names (Louis Armstrong gets only a perfunctory mention), the film spotlights (through interviews and live footage) lesser-known contemporary talents like blues guitarist John Campbell, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, songwriter-producer Allen Toussaint, a 12-year-old Cajun fiddler, and a 91-year-old Dixieland trumpeter. There's plenty of local color, what with sidebars about Louisiana's art, culture, and religion, but it's the infectious music that makes this one tasty gumbo. --Sam Graham

Whether you’re a long-time aficionado or a recent convert, DANCING TO NEW ORLEANS will give you a great appreciation for the amazing gumbo that is the music of Louisiana. More than any other place, Louisiana has influenced the development of American music.

May 17, 2003

Juba! The Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance-Film clips and interviews reveal tap in contemporary UP.SO. culture. (on PBS)

May 17, 2003

Freedom: A History of US --What is Freedom-Reconstruction after the Civil War. Plessy vs. Ferguson; separate but equal. (on PBS)

May 17, 2003

Industry Insiders: Hip Hop: A first hand account of the Hip Hop industry. (on MTV)

May 24, 2003

Freedom: A History of US -- Whose Land Is This? Immigrants become targets of white prejudice; massacre of the Indians. (on PBS)

May 29, 2003

Fascination's Rhythm-World of Tap Dance (on Bravo)

May 31, 2003

Freedom: A History of US: Working for Freedom-Labor Movement advocates of worker's right; Susan B. Anthony. (on PBS)

May 31, 2003

Documentary: Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History-Members of the white-supremacist order cover themselves with pointed hoods and sheets to remain anonymous while executing acts and rituals. (on the History Channel)

Other Programs

Movie: The Education of Sonny Carson-an excellent biographical account of the early life of the black activist. (on Showtime, Flix, and Black Stars-consult local listings!

Movie: Malcolm X- Spike Lee's best work-an account of the Black Nationalist and African-American Muslim hero! (on BET)

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update 3 July 2008