AMERICAN MASTERS
LENNONYC
As the world remembers John Lennon on what would have been his 80th birthday, and the 40th anniversary of his death, American Masters presents LENNONYC, a film that takes an intimate look at the time Lennon, Yoko Ono and their son, Sean, spent living in New York City during the 1970s. (01:43:59)
JOAN BAEZ: HOW SWEET THE SOUND
Joan Baez made her debut appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1959. Fifty years later she returned to that same Rhode Island stage, marking her and the festival’s 50th anniversaries. American Masters explores fifty years of folk legend and human rights activist Joan Baez. Features rare performance footage and candid interviews with David Crosby, Bob Dylan, ex-husband David Harris, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Roger McGuinn, and more. (01:24:24)
ROBERTA FLACK
Follow music icon Roberta Flack from a piano lounge through her rise to stardom. From “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to “Killing Me Softly,” Flack’s virtuosity was inseparable from her commitment to civil rights. Detailing her story in her own words, the film features exclusive access to Flack’s archives and interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Peabo Bryson and more. (01:23:33)
ELLA FITZGERALD: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR
One of the early “scat” performers, Fitzgerald found a place among the growing jazz innovators, making recordings with such greats as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. Through fifty-eight years of performing, thirteen Grammys and more than forty million records sold, she elevated swing, bebop, and ballads to their highest potential. She was, undeniably, the First Lady of Song. (01:28:32)
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: REACHING FOR THE NOTE
A presence on Broadway, in Hollywood, at Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein was a major force in twentieth century music. His exuberant and dramatic style caught the heart of America, bringing classical music to thousands of people from diverse backgrounds. More than any American conductor before him, Bernstein expanded the audience of classical music. (01:57:46)
PETE SEEGER: THE POWER OF SONG
Pete Seeger helped introduce America to its own musical heritage, devoting his life to using the power of song as a force for social change. With his deeply-held beliefs, Seeger went from the top of the pop charts to the top of the blacklist and was banned from American commercial television for more than 17 years. (01:25:37)
BUDDY GUY: THE BLUES CHASE THE BLUES AWAY
Dive into the career of the legendary blues guitarist, a pioneer of Chicago’s West Side sound and major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Featuring new performances and interviews with Carlos Santana and more. (01:22:31)
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: CARRY IT ON
Experience the story of the Oscar-winning Indigenous artist from her rise to prominence in New York’s Greenwich Village folk music scene through her six-decade groundbreaking career as a singer-songwriter, social activist, educator and artist. (01:29:33)
SAMMY DAVIS JR.: I'VE GOTTA BE ME
The first major film documentary to examine Sammy Davis, Jr.'s vast talent and his journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th century America. (01:39:31)
INVENTING DAVID GEFFEN
David Geffen's far-reaching influence - as agent, manager, record industry mogul, Hollywood and Broadway producer, and philanthropist - has helped shape American popular culture for the past four decades. Notoriously press and camera-shy, Geffen reveals himself for the first time. (01:54:49)
IN THE MAKING
Follow two performers as they break down barriers in music. Opera singer J’Nai Bridges takes the stage in “A Knee on the Neck,” a choral tribute to George Floyd. Country artist Rissi Palmer redefines success as she works on her latest album, while uplifting other artists of color in the Americana genres. (01:51:39)