Remote patrol

By the time a weary chorus of African-Americans called the Jubilee Singers dragged themselves back to the U.S. shores in 1878, hoarse and exhausted from seven years of almost nonstop touring, they knew all too well the sentiments of a song they performed nightly, "Ain't Got Time to Die." But what had transpired in that time, as told by tonight's edition of "The American Experience" (9, Channel 19), was nothing short of a phenomenon. The Jubilees were the first group to introduce the secret of black spirituals to white audiences. In so doing they had transformed themselves from a ragtag band of ex-slaves and freedmen under a white man's tutelage into worldwide celebrities. Just before that, at 8, is Channel 19's lushly filmed first hour of its five-part series, "Uniquely Kansas City." It's the first KCPT program available in high-definition television format, which means it'll look exceptional on regular TV and breathtakingly bold on the few hundred digital TV sets currently owned in the area. (KCPT's digital signal is on Channel 18.) @ART CAPTION:The Jubilee Singers @ART:Photo >>>