For jazz, the late 1950s is a period of transition when old stars will burn out while young talents arise to take the music in new directions. In 1956, Duke Ellington recaptures the nation's ear with a performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. The next year, Louis Armstrong makes headlines when he condemns the government's failure to stand up to racism in Little Rock, Arkansas. Meanwhile, new virtuosos emerge to push the limits of bebop: saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins; jazz diva Sarah Vaughan; and the drummer Art Blakey. But the leading light of the era is Miles Davis a popularizer whose lush recordings with arranger Gil Evans expand the jazz audience. As the turbulent Sixties arrive, John Coltrane explodes the pop tune My Favorite Things into a kaleidoscope of freewheeling sound, while Ornette Coleman challenges all conventions with a sound he calls "free jazz." Musicians are starting to ask, Is it still jazz? Produced by Ken Burns. .