All-Star Television: Charles Mingus, Cecil Taylor, Ralph Ellison, Martin Williams

Recorded in 1965 at the Village Gate, but rarely seen until recently, the National Educational Television program "Jazz: The Experimenters" features music from Charles Mingus and Cecil Taylor. This article explores and contextualizes both the extraordinary performances and critical commentary contained in this program, as provided by Ralph Ellison and Martin Williams. Since being uploaded to YouTube for the Mingus centennial on April 22, 2022, "Jazz: The Experimenters" has been viewed over 140,000 times, a remarkable number for an old arty black and white TV show, and quite possibly far more than the number of people who watched when first broadcast. It isn’t surprising that the program has struck a chord with contemporary audiences, for the sounds are still fresh and the debates remain unresolved.