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Walter Ray Watson

Scene still from Bert Williams Lime Kiln Field Day Project. Bert Williams, Walker Thompson (standing center), John Wesley Jenkins (seated right). In a concession to white audiences, Williams, the lead, wore blackface, but the other black characters did not.

Scene still from Bert Williams Lime Kiln Field Day Project. Bert Williams, Walker Thompson (standing center), John Wesley Jenkins (seated right). In a concession to white audiences, Williams, the lead, wore blackface, but the other black characters did not. Museum of Modern Art hide caption

itoggle caption Museum of Modern Art

Code Switch

Rare Silent Film With Black Cast Makes A Century-Late Debut

A 1913 romantic comedy starring black actors is finally hitting the big screen, after decades in the Museum of Modern Art archives. It's paired with an exhibit called 100 Years in Post-Production.

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All Washington, D.C., liquor stores were closed on Aug. 28, 1963. While Maury Landsman's parents, who owned a liquor store, stayed home that day, he was determined to participate in the march.

All Washington, D.C., liquor stores were closed on Aug. 28, 1963. While Maury Landsman's parents, who owned a liquor store, stayed home that day, he was determined to participate in the march. Charles Del Vecchio/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Charles Del Vecchio/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The Race Card Project: Six-Word Essays

Joining The '63 March, Despite Parents' Racial Biases

Maury Landsman's parents stayed home on Aug. 28, 1963. Their liquor store, like all others in the nation's capital, was shuttered the day of the March on Washington and the couple had no interest in attending. But Landsman, then 20, felt strongly that he needed to be there.

George Benson's latest album, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, is a tribute to his hero.

George Benson's latest album, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, is a tribute to his hero. Greg Allen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

itoggle caption Greg Allen/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

George Benson Follows The Path Of His 'Unforgettable' Idol

Benson and the late Nat King Cole have a lot in common: Both started as acclaimed jazz instrumentalists, but became pop stars when they started singing. Cole was a huge influence on Benson, and the guitarist — who turned 70 this spring — pays tribute on his latest album.

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Kris Bowers bows to the audience after performing in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. He took home first prize.

Kris Bowers bows to the audience after performing in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. He took home first prize. Brendan Hoffman/WireImage hide caption

itoggle caption Brendan Hoffman/WireImage

A Blog Supreme

Pianist Kris Bowers Wins 2011 Thelonious Monk Competition

The Juilliard student from Los Angeles, whose career highlights span both jazz and hip-hop, took home first prize for his performance at a gala filled with jazz superstars, celebrities, Washington dignitaries, patrons and fans.

James Moody

James Moody is known for soulful improvisations on the jazz flute and saxophone. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of the artist

Music Articles

Remembering James Moody's Humble Gift For Music

Saxophonist James Moody, a jazz great known for his song "Moody's Mood for Love," died Thursday. He was respected by jazz musicians for constantly practicing and striving to improve himself as an artist, and for handling his talents with grace and humility.

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Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk relaxes with his wife, Nellie, before performing at the Royal Festival Hall in London on April 29, 1961. Erich Auerbach/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Erich Auerbach/Getty Images

Music Articles

In A New Biography, Monk Minus The Myth

Robin D.G. Kelley spent 14 years on a new book, which some are calling the definitive work on a jazz legend. In Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, he portrays the great pianist as a trained musician, a psychiatric case and a father.

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