Reflections of "Ken Burns': Jazz" New York Times
By: Jason Moran

Watching "Jazz," I felt proud to be a young African-American playing the music. Frequently during the program, I smiled. I smiled, knowing that I live in Harlem, the home of so many innovators. I smiled, recognizing that nobody had it easy. The pain of Duke Ellington, the highs and lows of Louis Armstrong's career: that's where the true history of jazz is hidden. I applaud Mr. Burns for seeing that.

No history of jazz can be 100 percent complete, but this program gives a very good outline. It acknowledges that jazz history is really American history. The questions I'm asking myself now are these: How many times are we going to have to recite the same script? Why were the early criticisms of ragtime and swing and be-bop the same exact criticisms as those directed at hip-hop today? But then again, why did Stravinsky encounter the same criticisms as Bach?