BBC will explore the history of British jazz

BBC will explore the history of British jazz

MUMBAI: Uk broadcaster BBC has announced that its channel BBC Four will have a three-part series on the history of jazz in the UK.

There will also be two innovative concerts from a high-profile all-Brit weekend of jazz at the Barbican.

Accompanied by a selection of jazz-related programmes the initiative Jazz Britannia takes the viewer on a musical, historical and educational journey through arguably one of the most important African-American art forms of the 20th Century.

Directed by Mike Connolly and Mark Cooper, and narrated by actor Terence Stamp Jazz Britannia begins on Friday 28 January and explores the plethora of styles, scenes and dogmas that define the term 'British jazz'.

The series will feature music and interviews from dozens of key artists including founding fathers Ronnie Scott, Johnny Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton, Tubby Hayes, Chris Barber, Joe Harriott and Acker Bilk via DJ Gilles Peterson to modern day musicians Soweto Kinch, Jamie Cullum and Amy Winehouse.

Staying with the subject of jazz as had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com MTV India has teamed up with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in the US, Black Entertainment Television (Bet) Jazz and the US State Department for the 2005 India Jazz and Heritage Tour from 12-20 January in Mumbai.

One of the highlights will be an evening concert at the Gateway of India. In India the event will air on VH1 on 16 January.