May 1, 2007
“American Masters” Premiere of
Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built
Wednesday, May 2, 10:00pm
CHANNEL 26 (WETA TV 26)
(Greater Washington DC Area)
MPT/Maryland Public Television
CHANNEL 67
The PBS documentary series “American Masters” premiers "Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built," a profile of Ahmet Ertegun (1923-2006), one of the most prominent Turkish Americans, who left an indelible mark on American music and popular culture.
Ahmet Ertegun, a young Turk - literally - with an immigrant's passion for the African-American music he heard in the rigidly segregated Washington, D.C. nightclubs of the 1940s, when he lived in Washington where his father served as Turkish Ambassador to the US, recognized that "all popular music stems from black music, be it jazz or rock n' roll or rap." Ertegun's love of American black music led him to found Atlantic Records in 1947. He exported these unique sounds to England, where they merged with the European sensibility, and then imported that fusion back across the ocean. "The Atlantic Sound," which sprang from the small record label Ertegun co-founded in 1947, was a revolutionary new genre, single-handedly influencing the future direction of contemporary music. Ertegun wrote music, produced music, defined careers and changed lives.
For the last half-century, Ahmet Ertegun was hip-deep in R&B and rock and roll. “Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built” follows Ertegun's remarkable career and its impact on the evolution of the world's most popular musical genre while offering an insider's look at the recording industry, from its infancy to today. “The House That Ahmet Built” features rare, private and classic clips, performances and studio sessions of Atlantic recording artists. The film is narrated by award-winning singer/actress Bette Midler.
