Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson sits down with Studs Terkel to discuss historical developments in jazz piano, his own personal development as a pianist, and his experience directing a youth jazz piano school. Includes Peterson playing short excerpts from "Chicago (that toddlin' town)," "Soon," Chopin's Nocturne in E flat Major to demonstrate musical concepts.

Marian McPartland discusses her career, the role of women in jazz, and jazz music.

Bandleader, jazz musicologist and composer James Dapogny discusses his work in reviving the sound and art of jazz. Dapogny's work is mainly associated with his group James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band and his career in publishing lost works of Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton.

Erroll Garner, jazz pianist, talks about his music style and his career. He explains how he taught himself to play and how he creates new music. He continues to explain his unique style and how it compares to other jazz musicians.

Part 2 of the program continues with Dizzy Gillespie discovering the following: his jazz style; his interactions with other musicians; and his latin musical influences. The following Gillespie musical excerpts are played: "Tin Tin Deo"; "La Lorraine"; and an musical piece (with an undisclosed title) is played to end the program.

Studs Terkel and Billy Taylor discuss the book "Jazz Piano: History and Development". They discuss jazz musicians and the history of jazz music. Includes excerpts of drums, piano, and orchestra playing in the background.

Studs interviewing Billy Taylor discussing the creativity of his jazz colleagues and influences such as, Art Tatum, Nat Cole, Lester Young, Bud Freeman, Mil Jackson, Duke Ellington, and Earl Heinz, Nat Cole.

Dempsey Travis, real estate entrepreneur and civil rights activist turned historian and author, recalls his earlier days meeting and listening to many of the African American jazz artists. Some of the musicans mentioned are Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Lunceford, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Art Tatum, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, and Benny Goodman.

Studs interviews Billy Taylor (Jazz pianist and commentator for Jazz Alive radio program), who discusses the creativity of jazz musicians, the Jazz Mobile, and relationships between musicians. Taylor also mentions a large variety of Jazz musician influences. Studs plays various pieces of Jazz from a diverse pool of musicians. Taylor provides details about the Jazz Mobile's traveling show and education of Jazz music. There are no music recordings in this edited version.

Studs interviews Billy Taylor about his performance at the Rick's Cafe at the Holiday Inn in Chicago. They discuss what has influenced Billy Taylor's jazz music. Taylor explains some of his work with various other jazz musicians. This edited version does not include the music recordings.

Studs interviews Billy Taylor about his career in Jazz. Taylor shares stories about other Jazz musicians who influenced him. They discuss the improvisation in Jazz music, drug addiction of musicians, and the work Taylor is doing with the Jazz Mobile. Taylor discusses the different sounds of Jazz and describes the White House Jazz Festival that President Jimmy Carter hosted. This edited version does not include the music that is in the original version.

This is an interview with Adam Makowicz (Polish musician) in which he talks about the formation of his music career on jazz.