I just learned how to embed YouTube videos on Daily Kos. Thank you jan4insight.
So my first trick is to show you the earliest music video I've ever seen. If you know of one earlier, please share.
I like the premise of the film, a bunch of guys coming out of the woodwork to form a full band. And the leader gets the ladies in the end.
For the kids who don't know, Duke Ellington was one of the most celebrated entertainers in our history. He's the piano player.
And then there's this:
Oscar Peterson was more of a virtuoso on the piano. Amazing performance. If you are impatient, cut to about 2:20 and you'll see a really intense man putting everything he has into making that piano do what he wants.
Since we are a political site, these two artists are perfect examples of soft power. They both had followings in Europe and traveled there to perform. They (and a whole lot of other mostly black musicians) brought our western/African hybrid music culture to the rest of the world. And that vibe continues to drive music today.