In 1950, Juilliard-trained pianist Hazel Scott became the first Black American to host her own television show. A born performer, she excelled in jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, ballads, Broadway, and classical music. It was by “swinging the classics” that she first achieved fame.
Unusual for any performer in Hollywood, she had complete control over her image and music. She always spoke up, and she never backed down. When she criticized the House Un-American Activities Committee, doors began to close. Happily, she was able to reinvent herself with a glorious third act in Paris.
You’ll find lots of great footage in this fascinating 20-minute documentary:
Scott swings Liszt:
Scott stops the show, playing black and white grand pianos, in “The Heat’s On” (1943):
Vernon Duke’s “Taking a Chance on Love”: