Golden Notebooks, 1971, Library of Congress

Through the tours, the Ambassadors personified core American characteristics such as freedom, innovation, and inclusion. As such, they helped ease Cold War tensions and directly introduced jazz to people around the world. Furthermore, in a time when African-Americans were rampantly discriminated against, the Ambassadors crossed ideological frontiers in their role as representatives of the state. Today, as reports of a “new Cold War” are rampant, the Jazz Ambassadors serve as an apt reminder of the power of music to cross-cultural, political, and geographical frontiers.