After I mentioned enjoying Alicia Keys’ two-pianos routine at the Grammys, Donn Johnson tipped me off that it was a tribute to Hazel Scott. I’m embarrassed to admit I’d never heard of Scott, but her Wikipedia listing is most impressive — for her performances, civil rights activism, fight against McCarthyism, and becoming the first black person to have a TV show.
She also did a few movies. Here’s a clip from her portion of the 1943 Mae West movie, “The Heat’s On.” Love the color-switched piano keys, too!