Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built

Synopsis: Explore the life of the man who almost single-handedly changed the face of American music as filmmakers profile Atlantic Records founding father Ahmet Ertegun. Upon hearing the African-American music that kept nightclubs hopping in racially segregated Washington D.C. of the 1940s, Ertegun knew he had found his true calling. Not only did Ertegun speculate that "all popular music stems from black music," but he put his theory to the ultimate test by exporting this distinctly American music to England - where it fused with European sensibilities to create something entirely unique. Later, after co-founding the The Atlantic Sound record label in 1947, Ertegun brought the unique mix stateside to birth a whole new genre of music. Award-winning stage and screen star Bette Midler narrates a documentary that utilizes rare interview footage, seldom-seen classic clips, and studio sessions by some of Atlantic Records' best-known recording artists in telling the truly remarkable tale of Ahmet Ertegun.   Source: allmovie.com