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Overlooked: Miles Davis’ Jack Johnson (Audio)

Jul 26, 2018

This edition of Overlooked will celebrate our Dear Leader’s recent posthumous pardon of heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson (1878-1946). The first African-American boxing champ, Johnson was the most famous and infamous celebrity of his time. His flamboyant life outside of the ring, including marrying a white woman at the height of the Jim Crow era, driving fancy cars and spending lavishly, lead to his imprisonment. Johnson’s life has been the subject of documentaries, including one with a soundtrack created by Miles Davis, who considered Jack Johnson an inspiration for independence, strength and creativity. Host Rob Saffer will devote the entire broadcast to Miles’ 1970 recording, "A Tribute to Jack Johnson,” featuring John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham and Bennie Maupin, and produced by Teo Macero.