WTTW CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY AND SUMMER WITH EXCITING NEW MUSIC CONTENT THROUGHOUT JULY

WTTW recently released its July programming schedule which includes a broad range of compelling new music content. A star-studded musical salute to America’s 245^th birthday and a highly anticipated American Masters special focusing on Chicago blues icon, Buddy Guy, are just two of the musical highlights on tap for July.

WTTW’s July music programming includes: 

• A Capitol Fourth 2021
  Sunday, July 4 from 7:00-8:30 pm and 8:30-10:00 pm
  Celebrate our country’s 245th birthday with a star-studded musical extravaganza hosted by Vanessa Williams. The 41st edition of America's Independence Day celebration features performances by Jimmy Buffett, Cynthia Erivo, Alan Jackson, Pentatonix, Jennifer Nettles, Auli’i Cravalho, Train, Gladys Knight, Mickey Guyton, Ali Stroker, Jimmie Allen, and Laura Osnes. Renée Fleming will sing the national anthem accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jack Everly, and the evening will be capped off with a spectacular fireworks display over the Washington, DC skyline.

• Great Performances: Gloria Estefan – Sangre Yoruba
  Friday, July 9 from 9:00-10:30 pm
  Adventure through three of Brazil's most influential cities with Grammy Award-winning singer Gloria Estefan as she explores the origins of its music through its people, and offers an inside look at the creation of her new Brazilian-influenced album.

• Icon: Music Through the Lens – On Camera (3 of 6 parts will air in July)
  Friday, July 16, 23, and 30 from 9:00-10:00 pm
  This six-part series takes a fascinating journey through the history and cultural impact of music photography. The first episode looks at what defines an iconic image, as we meet some of music photography's greatest names. In the second, trailblazers of music photography paint a picture of life on the tour bus; the third features photography on record sleeves from jazz and early rock ‘n roll.

• Great Performances: Roots of Latin Jazz
  Friday, July 16 from 10:00-11:00 pm
  Hosted by Sheila E., this program celebrates the rhythms of Latin music with the Raices Jazz Orchestra and performances by Grammy-winning artists, including Richard Bona and Anaadi.

• Classic Albums: Queen – A Night at the Opera
  Friday, July 23 from 10:00-11:00 pm
  Learn about Queen’s fourth album A Night at the Opera, released in late 1975 – a mix of hard rock, pop, opera, music hall camp, and traditional folk, utilizing multilayered guitars, crunching riffs, vocals harmonies, piano flourishes, a harp, a ukulele, and no synthesizers.

• Great Performances at the Met: Joyce DiDonato
  Sunday, July 25 from 1:00-2:00 pm
  The American mezzo-soprano is accompanied by Carrie-Ann Matheson on piano and the chamber music ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro.

• In Their Own Words: Chuck Berry
  Tuesday, July 27 from 8:00-9:00 pm
  Take a riveting ride on the Chuck Berry train, exploring the life of the man behind the music. By blending "hillbilly" music with R&B and writing impactful lyrics, Berry birthed a renaissance in popular music that we now call rock ‘n’ roll.

• American Masters: Buddy Guy – The Blues Chase the Blues Away
  Tuesday, July 27 from 9:00-10:30 pm
  Dive into the career of the legendary blues guitarist, a pioneer of Chicago’s West Side sound and major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Featuring new performances and interviews with John Mayer, Carlos Santana, and more.

• Classic Albums: Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
  Friday, July 30 from 10:00-11:00 pm
  The creation of Fleetwood Mac’s wildly successful 11th studio album Rumours, recorded in large part in California in 1976, was marked by interpersonal strife and hedonistic behavior among all five band members. This is the definitive story of the making of an album that has earned its place in the pantheon of rock music history.

Watch these programs on WTTW, through the PBS video app, and online at wttw.com/watch.

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