Willie “The Lion” Smith defined what it meant to be a stride, jazz piano player in 20th century America. As an and African-American Jew, Smith approached the magnitude of WWI, and the early 1900s with a kaleidoscope of perspectives. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe, explores what the life, music, and legacy of Smith can teach us today.
November 21, 2014