Best Of: 50 Years Of SNL Musical Guests / Black History Through Blues

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is the co-director of a new documentary about the music of Saturday Night Live over the last 50 years. It's called Ladies & Gentlemen and it's streaming on Peacock.

We'll also hear from author and scholar Imani Perry. Her new book Black In Blues explores the significance of the color blue in Black life, from the indigo trade to the birth of blues music.

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Transcript

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0:26.5	From W.HYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend.
0:30.7	I'm Tanya Mosley.
0:32.1	Today, Amir Questlove Thompson.
0:35.1	He's the co-director of a new documentary about the music of Saturday Night Live
0:39.9	over the last 50 years. It's called Ladies and Gentlemen, 50 Years of S&L music. TV critic David
0:47.2	B. and Cooley also reviews Questlove's film and a four-part documentary series about
0:52.5	SNL. We'll also hear from author and scholar Amani Perry.
0:56.8	Her new book, Black and Blues, explores the significance of blue and black life,
1:01.9	from the indigo trade to the birth of blues music.
1:04.8	What did I do?
1:14.1	To be so black and blue.
1:18.7	That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.
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