PBS Kids Premieres Kwame Alexander's Animated Jazz Special

Recent coverage highlights the enduring influence and evolving legacy of jazz through both historical figures and contemporary innovators. Kwame Alexander's children's book character, Acoustic Rooster, debuts in an animated PBS Kids special, introducing jazz to young audiences by drawing inspiration from legends like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. Meanwhile, Luke Waldron's new album 'a love suite' exemplifies jazz's ongoing evolution, blending jazz, R&B, and gospel to create a fresh, genre-defying sound that appeals to both traditionalists and new listeners. The life and impact of jazz legends such as Jimmy Smith, whose mastery of the Hammond organ bridged jazz and soul, and Mary Lou Williams, a pioneering pianist and composer who adapted through every era of jazz, are also being celebrated. Personal stories, like discovering jazz through Gene Krupa’s dynamic drumming and witnessing his collaborations with other icons, underscore the genre’s communal and intergenerational appeal. Together, these stories reflect jazz’s dynamic past and its vibrant, innovative present.