简介：SaxophonistSowetoKinchmeetsandplayswithfellowmusiciansanddiscoversamusicthat’spolitical,spiritualandrootedinAfricanAmericanhistory. Sowetoarguesthatjazzistoooftenseenasasterilemuseumpiece,whereasinrealityit’sapowerful,politicalmusicwhichcanonlybeunderstoodthroughthehistoryofracismandinequalityfromwhichitemerged. InNewOrleanshefindsanoldermusicrootedinthehistoryofslavery.HemeetssaxophonistDonaldHarrisonJr,whokeepsalivethetraditionoftheMardiGrasIndians,andjoinsDonaldandhisgrouptheCongoSquareNation,whoperformmusicinfluencedbyAfricandrummingandrhythms.SowetomeetsmusicianandwriterNicholasPaytonandtrumpeterandcomposerTerenceBlanchard.BothtalkabouthowjazzemergedfromthestruggleofAfricanAmericanstoformanewlanguageinacountrywhereracismandsegregationgavethemfewoutletsforself-expression.Jazzisrootedinthebluesandthroughoutitshistoryhasstraddledthesecularandthespiritual.SowetoplaysalongwithpianistMarcusRoberts,andmeetssingerCarmenLundy. SowetothenvisitsNewYork,whichbythe1930swasfirmlyestablishedasthecentreofthejazzworld.InHarlem,Sowetofindtracesofthecity’sjazzhistorybutalsodiscoversNewYork’scontemporaryscene.HemeetssingerandbassistEsperanzaSpaldingandsaxophonistDonnyMcCaslin,whofeaturedonDavidBowie’salbumBlackstar.MichaelMwensoblendsjazz,soulandswingandSowetojoinshimforalivesession. InLondonSowetomeetsCourtneyPine,whowaspartofamovementofblackBritishjazzmusiciansinthe1980swhorevivedtheartformandinspiredsuccessivegenerations.Lastly,SowetomeetsthelatestwaveofBritishjazzmusiciansincludingShabakaHutchingsfromSonsofKemet,CassieKinoshiofNerijaandGiacomoSmithofKansasSmitty’sHouseBand.Allarerootedinjazztraditionsbutalsodrawuponcontemporaryinfluencessuchasgrimeanddubstep.…