Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, R&B, Brazilian, Reggae, Hip-Hop... these are all musical artforms born out of the experiences and genius of people of African descent.  To celebrate Black History Month we offer a program that appreciates the interconnection of the genres, and a broader perspective of black music. 

 The Big Red Couch with Host Jim Luce

The Big Red Couch hosted by Peabody Award winning Producer Jim Luce is a nod to five decades of black music that has shaped popular musical culture all over the world.  

Luce mixes tunes like eclectic gemstones by musicians who have had a great impact on music worldwide over the past fifty years.  As an audiophile, Jim does not go for the low-hanging fruit; he digs deeper into each artist's discography to create a refreshing retrospective.

Photos of some artists featured in The Big Red Couch including Aretha Franklin, Micheal Jackson, Randy Weston, Roberta Flack, Moraci Santos, Irma Thomas, Jackie McLean, Billy Harper, Albert King, War and Earth, Wind & Fire.

Artists heard in this 3-hour special include Joe Henderson, Curtis Mayfield, Duke Ellington, Moacir Santos, John Hicks, Irma Thomas, Earth Wind & Fire, Albert King, Sly & the Family Stone,  Jackie McLean, Jimmy Cliff, Arthur Blythe, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Dorothy Coates & the Gospel Harmonettes, Luciana Souza, Donny Hathaway, War, Aretha Franklin, Gregory Porter - and many more! 

The show has a jazz core, from a music lover's perspective.  Jim Luce creates an elegant mix, with just enough background information about the artists (and the times), to make it all the more interesting.   It's a well-appointed way to portray and celebrate the broad influence of black culture, completely through music - and an artistic way to participate in Black History Month.  Three (3) 1-hour segments that can be aired separately or consecutively.

 Producer & Host, Jim Luce