T. Walker, Lee Ritenour − guitar Catherine Gotthoffer, Dorothy Remsen − harp Alton Hendrickson − banjo Chuck Rainey, Ed Reddick − electric bass Arni Egillson, Milt Kestenbaum − bass Bill Summers, Bobbye Hall, Caiphus Semenya, Emil Richards, King Errison, Milt Holland, Paul Bryant, Shelly Manne, Tommy Vig, Victor Feldman, Zak Diouf − percussion Bobby Bruce − fiddle (track 12) Bobby Bruce, Erno Neufeld, Gerald Vinci, Harry Bluestone, Irv Katz, Janice Gower, John Santulis, Joseph Livoti, Joe Stepansky, Ralph Shaeffer, Bob Sushell, Sheldon Sanov, Bill Nuttycomb − violin Alex Nieman, Marilyn Baker, Bob Ostrowsky, Rollis Dale − viola Jeff Solow, Jesse Erlich, Paul Bergstrom, Ronnie Cooper − cello The Wattsline Choir conducted by Reverend James Cleveland – vocals (tracks 3, 5, 8, 13, 15 & 17) Charles May, David Pridgen, Mortonette Jenkins, Rodney Armstrong, Sherwood Sledge Letta Mbulu − vocals (tracks 3–5 & 17) Lou Gossett − vocals, dialogue (tracks 9, 11, & 16) Stan Haze − dialogue (track 10) Zak Diouf − vocals (track 6) Alex Hassilev − vocals (track 8) Alexandra Brown, Caiphus Semenya, Deborah Tibbs, Jim Gilstrap, John Lehman, Linda Evans, Paulette McWilliams, Reverend James Cleveland, Stephanie Spruill – vocals Bill Summers, Caiphus Semenya, Dave Grusin, Herb Spencer, John Mandel, Reverend James Cleveland, Dick Hazard, Tommy Bahler – arrangers Tommy Bahler − choir arranger and conductor (tracks 5 & 17) Charts and certifications Reception The series received positive reviews. Review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes later rated it 88% "fresh" based on 8 reviews. Variety reviewed it positively, summarizing, "The production and performances are strong, with newcomer LeVar Burton effective as the African youngster trapped into slavery. Edward Asner, as he did in Rich Man, Poor Man a year ago, dominates the screen in his opening scenes." Legal issues Following the success of the original novel and the miniseries, Haley was sued by author Harold Courlander, who asserted that Roots was plagiarized from his own novel The African, published nine years prior to Roots in 1967. The resulting trial ended with an out-of-court settlement and an admission from Haley that certain passages within Roots had been copied from Courlander's work. Separately, researchers refuted Haley's claims that, as the basis for Roots, Haley had traced his own ancestry back through slavery to a very specific individual and village in Africa. After a five-week trial in federal district court, Courlander and Haley settled the case with a financial settlement and a