ETV Classics
Spoleto Festival USA: Now You Has Jazz (1981)
Season 3 Episode 15 | 28m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Dazzling lineup with Billy Taylor, Randy Weston, Betty Carter, Ricky Ford, and Taj Mahal.
Bob Edwards reminds us that jazz is uniquely American music and that has its place on the Spoleto stage alongside operas and concertos. He notes that jazz is music that makes you feel, makes you think, and it fills an empty space. Now You Haz Jazz presents legends and a legend to be in this glorious lineup including Billy Taylor, Randy Weston, Betty Carter, Ricky Ford, and Taj Mahal.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
ETV Classics is a local public television program presented by SCETV
Support for this program is provided by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
ETV Classics
Spoleto Festival USA: Now You Has Jazz (1981)
Season 3 Episode 15 | 28m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Bob Edwards reminds us that jazz is uniquely American music and that has its place on the Spoleto stage alongside operas and concertos. He notes that jazz is music that makes you feel, makes you think, and it fills an empty space. Now You Haz Jazz presents legends and a legend to be in this glorious lineup including Billy Taylor, Randy Weston, Betty Carter, Ricky Ford, and Taj Mahal.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(bright music) - [Announcer] This program is made possible in part by a grant from Consolidated Foods Corporation with additional funding from the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
(birds chirping) (light jazz music) - Have you ever noticed how in a cafeteria, everybody eats in time to the background music?
That's what the stuff is for.
Makes you eat fast when it's crowded, slow when it's empty.
Some people used to think jazz was like that.
You know, it makes you tap your foot.
There's nothing wrong with tapping your foot, but music can do that.
Jazz makes you feel, and good jazz makes you think.
Billy Taylor calls it American classical music, which maybe explains why there's jazz at Spoleto, along with operas and concertos.
It's not just background music.
Pianist, composer, author, critic, who else but Billy Taylor.
(playful pensive jazz music) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (playful pensive jazz music continues) (audience cheers) (bright cheerful jazz music) Jazz came from African roots and Randy Weston goes back to those roots for much of his inspiration.
But his sound is all his own: the Randy Weston sextet.
(bright cheerful jazz music continues) (bright cheerful jazz music continues) (bright cheerful jazz music continues) (bright cheerful jazz music continues) (bright cheerful jazz music continues) (bright cheerful jazz music continues) (bright cheerful jazz music continues) (audience applauds) (bright piano music) (pensive jazz music) (audience cheers and applauds) (energetic jazz music) The brilliant jazz vocalist, Betty Carter.
♪ I can't help it ♪ ♪ That's the way that I am ♪ ♪ I can't help it ♪ ♪ I don't know how to share ♪ ♪ I tried to do the things I feel inside ♪ ♪ Believe me it's a real delight ♪ ♪ Have you considered what it does to your soul ♪ ♪ You sell it when you play some other's role ♪ ♪ So be yourself, dears, in what you choose to be ♪ ♪ Don't let them change you, they need you, can't you see ♪ ♪ So try me and maybe you'll like it ♪ ♪ 'Cause I can't help it ♪ ♪ That's the way that I am ♪ (bright jazz music) ♪ Have you considered what it does to your soul ♪ ♪ You sell it when you play some other's role ♪ ♪ So be yourself, dears, in what you choose to be ♪ ♪ Don't let them change you, they need you, can't you see ♪ ♪ So try me and maybe you'll like it ♪ ♪ 'Cause I can't help it ♪ ♪ That's the way that I am ♪ ♪ I can't help it ♪ ♪ That's the way that I am ♪ ♪ I can't help it ♪ ♪ That's the way it is for me ♪ (audience applauds) Thank you.
(audience applauds) (bright saxophone jazz music) - [Narrator] In the Spoleto tradition of matching well-known artists with brilliant youngsters, Ricky Ford is 26 years old and already one of the best tenor saxes in jazz.
(bright saxophone jazz music continues) (bright saxophone jazz music continues) (bright jazz music) (bright jazz music continues) (bright jazz music continues) (bright jazz music continues) (bright jazz music continues) (bright jazz music continues) (bright saxophone jazz music) (bright saxophone jazz music continues) (bright saxophone jazz music continues) (bright saxophone jazz music continues) (bright saxophone jazz music continues) (audience applauds) ♪ I am gonna move up to the country ♪ ♪ Paint my mailbox blue ♪ ♪ I'm gonna move up to the country ♪ ♪ Paint my mailbox blue ♪ ♪ You know I'm put some flowers on it, baby ♪ - [Narrator] Taj Mahal has built his own unique sound from one of the oldest strains of Black music, the blues.
♪ You know I'm leavin' LA baby ♪ ♪ Sugar, don't you know this smog's got me down ♪ ♪ You know I'm leavin' LA, babe ♪ ♪ Where this smog has got me down ♪ ♪ I'm leaving up to the country, baby ♪ ♪ Where there ain't no doggone smog around ♪ ♪ Come here, baby girl ♪ ♪ Come on, baby, take your papa by the hand ♪ ♪ Won't you come here baby, woo ♪ ♪ Take your papa by the hand ♪ ♪ Oh, you know, you be my woman ♪ ♪ I'll be your city boy country man.
♪ (audience cheers) All right, ladies, now you got to get yourselves together.
Sing this next spot with me.
Here comes your part, now sing.
♪ Shooby dooby doo wee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ Plenty sopranos now pretty harmonizing.
Come on.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo bee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ ♪ Doo bee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo bee doo wee ♪ Oh, bring it up now.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee ♪ (audience vocalizing) Come out there, subconscious now.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo bee doo wee ♪ Now, none of you cats get jealous now, we got something for you in a minute.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo bee doo wee ♪ ♪ Do wee ♪ Rest pipes now, fellas.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo bee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ ♪ Do we, yes we do ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee ♪ (audience vocalizing) (audience cheers) Alright, let's put it together now.
Put it together everybody.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ I need some more high voices.
You fellas, come on up now.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo ♪ Harmony.
♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo wee ♪ Keep your shooby dooby and I'm on move up to the country, baby, you shooby dooby doo, I'm going paint my mailbox doo.
♪ I'm gonna move up the country, baby ♪ ♪ Shooby dooby doo bee doo ♪ ♪ Paint my mailbox blue ♪ ♪ Put some flowers on it, baby ♪ ♪ Paint some trailin' vines and dew ♪ (audience cheers) Thank you.
(light piano jazz music) - Well, that's it for our show.
But not for jazz at Spoleto.
It's late night music.
And even after we finish taping, they go on playing all over Charleston.
Even after their audience goes to bed, they go on jamming.
But as I said at the beginning of this show, that's what jazz is for.
Makes you feel, makes you think.
It fills an empty space.
Until next time, goodnight.
(light piano jazz music continues) (light piano jazz music continues) - [Announcer] This program was made possible in part by a grant from Consolidated Foods Corporation with additional funding from the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
(light electronic music)
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ETV Classics is a local public television program presented by SCETV
Support for this program is provided by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.