These include TV recordings ( see TV pages) and some straight live performances.
With inexpensive digital cameras, more and more jazz is being recorded and
in the future I hope to have separate pages for straight live performances
to distinguish them from the documentaries which try to give some insight
into the music and its practitioners
(P) straight recorded performance (a number of these have now been issued
on DVD
(see info and news and DVD pages)
At present, I have not included educational films produced by musicians.
ABC ) All Black Cast. Between 1910 and
1960 hundreds of films were produced featuring all black casts. These were
made for segregated audiences and were often made by black film companies.
With the coming of sound more and more black musicians were filmed in a variety
of settings. ( see shorts)
jazzon film. com always welcomes corrections and omissions
to its pages
(DVD) available
ABDULLAH IBRAHIM; A BROTHER WITH PERFECT TIMING
USA • 90mins • Directed by Chris Austin
Film about the artist formerly known as Dollar Brand
ADELAIDE HALL; Sophisticated Lady
UK 1990 • 50 mins • Produced by John Jeremy • Directed by David
Mingay and David Robinson
In concert with the Mike Pyne Trio.Pyne (pno)
Dave Green (bass) Ron
Hetherington (drums)and Benny Waters
(sax)
ADVENTURES IN THE KINGDOM OF SWING (see Benny Goodman)
ADVENTURE IN RHYTHM
USA 1961 • 8 mins • Directed by Jack Shaindlin
short featuring the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
ALL COLORED VAUDEVILLE SHOW (ABC)
USA 1935 • 9 mins • Directed by Roy Mack
with Adelaide Hall and the
Nicholas Brothers
ALONE TOGETHER (see Jimmy Scott)
ANYTHING FOR JAZZ.
USA 1979 • 30 mins • Directed by Dan Algrant
A portrait of Jaki Byard with narration by
bassist Ron Carter and with pianist Bill
Evans
ALBERT AYLER (see, Speaking in Tongues and My Name
is.....)
ALBERTA HUNTER ; LIVE AT THE SMITHONIAN INSTITUTE
USA 1982 • 58 mins •
with Gerald Cook (pno) Jimmy
Lewis ( bass)
ALBERTA HUNTER; MY CASTLE'S ROCKIN' (DVD available)
USA 1988 • 58 mins • Directed by Stuart Goldman
Film about the blues and jazz singer featured in "Remember My Name"
(see features)
AMBROSETTI’S JAZZ FAMILY
Switzerland / Italy 2000 • 58 mins • Directed by Alberto Eisenhardt
AMSTERDAMNED; The Willem Breuker Kollektief
France 2000 • 52 mins • Directed by Daniel Jouanisson
ANITA ELLIS; FOR THE RECORD
USA1980 • 28 mins • Directed by Tony Silver
Anita Ellis performs in this film with Ellis Larkins
(piano
ANITA O'DAY: The Life of a Jazz Singer (DVD) USA •
2007• 120 mins •A film by Ian McCrudden and Robbie Cavolina with Annie Ross, Gerald Wilson, Johnny Mandel
AFTER HOURS (DVD) 60 mins with the film JAZZ DANCE
USA 1961 (TV) • 27mins
with Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton, Cozy
Cole and Johnny Guarnieri
AFTER HOURS WITH ART HODES
USA 1979 • 29mins x 4 • Directed by Allen Grey
TV Swing sessions featuring Kenny Davern and
Wingy Manone
ALEX WELCH
UK 1963 • 25 mins
Alex ‘s band with guest Henry ‘Red’
Allen (see TV)
ALL STAR SWING FESTIVAL
USA 1972 • 52 mins • Directed by Grey Lockwood
Filmed at the Lincoln Centre in New York and Introduced by
Doc Severinsen. It features Basie, Ellington,
Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa etc.
ALWAYS FOR PLEASURE
USA 1978 • 58 mins • Directed by Les Blank
with Olympia Brass Band and the Kid Thomas
Band
AMBITUS
France • 1967 • 16mins Cecil Taylor and his Quartet
ARCHIE SHEPP CHEZ LES TOUAREGES
France 1971 • 17 mins • Directed. by Theo Robichel
ARCHIE SHEPP: I AM JAZZ...IT'S MY LIFE (DVD)
USA / France 1984 • 52 mins • Directed by Frank Cassenti with Wilbur Little (bass) Clifford Jarvis (tnr)
ARTIE SHAW; TIME IS ALL YOU'VE GOT
Canada 1984 • 115 mins • Directed by Brigitte Berman
ARTIE SHAW; QUEST FOR PERFECTION
UK 2003 • 60 mins
Very good bio with interviews with Artie in his nineties
ART BLAKEY; THE JAZZ MESSENGER
UK 1986 (TV) • 58 mins • Directed by ?
Live at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London
ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS
USA 1982 • 60 mins • (P)
with the Marsalis Brothers live in New York
ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS
1959 • 90 mins
Live in Paris with one of his best bands with Lee
Morgan, Wayne Shorter , Walter Davis Jr. and
Jymie Merritt
ART FARMER (see A Night of Jazz on this page)
ART FORD JAZZ PARTY
USA1958 • 26 mins •
with Charlie Shavers. J.C. Higginbotham, Pee Wee Russell,
Coleman Hawkins, Willie' the Lion' Smith, Harry Shepherd (vibes),Dick
Thompson (gtr) Vinnie Burke (bass)
Sonny Greer (drums) and Mae
Burns (vocal)
This was a popular series of TV jazz programmes during the fifties. It featured all the greats in different combinations
ART FORD JAZZ PARTY
USA 1958 •
A thirteen week series of 90 minutes each featuring the major swing players of the day. Below are a coupl e of clips
ART TATUM:TATUM LEGACY
1983 • 25 mins
Documentary on Art Tatum featuring
interviews with Buddy DeFranco, Itzhak Perlman,
and many of
Art's relatives and friends from Toledo
ART TATUM; TELL IT LIKE IT IS
38 mins • Directed by Gil Noble
ART TATUM; THE ART OF THE PIANO
USA • Directed by Howard Johnson
with Les Paul
ART PEPPER; NOTES FROM A JAZZ SURVIVOR
USA 1991 • 50 mins • Directed by Don McGlynn
McGlynn's first film about the wonderful wayward alto player. A very intimate
portrait
ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO
1981 • 50 mins • (p)
with Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell,
Famoudou Don Moye, and Malachi Favors
A WELL SPENT LIFE
USA 1970 • 44 mins • Directed by Les Blank and Skip Gerson
A film about blues singer Mance Lipscomb ( jazz
on film would welcome more info on this film
shown at the 1972 London Film Festival)
BARBARA THOMPSON: PLAYING FOR TIME
UK 2010 • 75 mins • Directed by Mike Dibbs
Another documentary by the director who made ‘The Miles Davis Story’
This is about the British sax player. Barbara Thompson career while battling Parkinson’s disease
BARRY HARRIS
USA 1984 • 28 mins • (p)
Short portrait of the great bebop pianist
BARRY HARRIS; SPIRIT OF BEBOP (DVD)
USA • 55 mins •
BAYOU MAHARAJAH USA 2013 • 90mins • Directed by Lily Keber
The life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker with Harry Connick Jr and Dr John
BENNY CARTER; SYMPHONY IN RIFFS
USA • 1989 • 58 mins • Directed by Harrison Engels
Film about one of jazz' s greatest figures and finest alto saxist with
Gillespie, Lena Horn, Andre Previn, Clark Terry, David Sanborn, Stanley Jordan,
Quincy Jones and narrated by Burt Lancaster
BENNY GOODMAN; ADVENTURES IN THE KINGDOM OF SWING
USA 1993 • 60 MINS • Directed by Oren Jacoby
A very good TV production about Goodman's career with Lionel
Hampton, Gene Krupa and Ella
Fitzgerald. It also has a clip of Parker
and Gillespie playing 'Hot House'. It features
interviews with Goodman's daughters and brother. Contains numerous clips from
feature films Goodman made in Hollywood such as 'The Powers Girl' and 'Hollywood
Hotel' (see features page)
BENNY GOODMAN IN THE SOVIET UNION
RUSSIA 1962 • 18 mins
Russian documentary about the swing man's trip behind the old Iron Curtain
BEN WEBSTER The Brute and the Beautiful
UK1989 • 50mins • Directed by John Jeremy
One of John Jeremy's very best films about the ex-Ellington wayward tenor
saxophonist.
BEN WEBSTER
1959 • 28 mins • (P)
TV session 'jazz from studio 61' with Ahmad Jamal
Trio plus Buck Clayton, Hank Jones, Vic Dickenson,
George Duvivier and Jo Jones
BETTY CARTER (see BUT THEN)
BETTY CARTER: CALL ME BETTY CARTER
1981
BETTY CARTER LIVE AT THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (P)
1981 • 48 mins •
with Kaleeb Moss, (pno) Curtis
Lundy (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums)
BIG BANDS AT DISNEYLAND
??
BILL COLMAN Boogie to Funk
France 1961 • 9 mins • Directed by Pierre Rocamora
with Quentin Jackson and
Bud Johnson
BILL EVANS; THE UNIVERSAL MIND OF (DVD)
USA 1968 • 45 mins • Directed by Leland Wyler
with Eddie Gomez
BILL EVANS TRIO
1979 • 58 mins • (P)
Live at the Maintenance Shop, Iowa State University with
Marc Johnson (bass) and Joe La Barbera (drums)
BILL EVANS: TIME REMEMBERED
USA 2016 • 84 mins • Directed by Bruce Spegiel
BILL GOTTLIEB – RIFFS
60 Minutes
Profile of Bill Gottlieb, the famed photographer who captured the golden age of jazz .
BILLIE HOLIDAY; The Long Night of Lady Day
UK 1984 • 92 mins • Directed by John Jeremey (see Lady Day)
BILLIE ON BILLIE (DVD)
UK 2002 • 50 mins • Directed by Paul Kerr
Film based on some late interviews with Billie Holiday with clips from her
first screen appearance with Duke Ellington
and her late UK appearance on 'Chelsea at Nine'
BILLIE HOLIDAY: SENSATIONAL LADY
UK 2001 • 60 mins • Directed by David F. Tufnell
BILLIE HOLIDAY (see Strange Fruit)
BILLIE HOLIDAY; THE MANY FACES OF ( see LADY DAY)
BIRD
• 1990 • 56 mins • Produced by Jan Horne
BIRD NOW
Germany 1987 • 90 mins • Directed by Marc Huraux
See also Charlie Parker Story
BIX
Canada 1981 • 116 mins • Directed by Brigitte Berman
features Hoagy Carmichael and Artie
Shaw. Wonderful documentary about Bix Beiderbecke with plenty of interviews
with people who knew him
BLACK AND TAN
USA 1929 • 18 mins • Directed by Dudley Murphy
Duke Ellington's very first screen appearance with Arthur
Whetsol on trumpet
BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICA
USA1971 • 25 mins • Directed by Hugh Robertson
Lots of clips from other films with Louis Armstrong, Bessie
Smith, Billie Holiday
BLUE’S BLUE; TO SATCHMO
Italy 2000 • (animation)
BLUES LIKE A SHOWER OF RAIN
UK 1970 • 50 mins • Directed by John Jeremy
One the very best films about the blues
BLUE NOTES AND EXILED VOICES
GB 1991 • 52 mins • Directed by Imruh Bakari
Film about South African musicians in the UK. Features the Hugh
Masekela band, Louis Moholo and the
Brotherhood of Breath
BLUE NOTE; A HISTORY OF MODERN JAZZ (DVD)
Germany 1997 • 92 mins • Directed by Julian Benedikt
Excellent film about the history of Blue Note records
THE BLUE NOTE STORY ( see UK TV on TV page)
BOBBY HACKETT SEXTET
USA 1962 • 24 mins • Directed by Bernard (P)
with Urbie Green, Bob Wilbur, Dave McKenna, Nabil
Totah (bass) and Morey Field (drums)
See TV
BOBBY WELLINS; DREAMS ARE FREE
UK • 2013 • 60 mins ? Directed by Gary Barber
Profile of the great British tenor sax, Bobby Wellins.
Best known for Stan Tracy’sUnder Milkwood album
BOOGIE AND BLUE; HARRY 'The hipster' GIBSON
USA 1991 • 40 mins • Directed by Arlena Gibson
Portrait of the boogie woogie man who was very popular in the forties but
is almost unknown today.
BOOGIE
WOOGIE DREAM
USA 1947 • 13 mins • Directed by Hans Burger
Black cast film with Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson,Teddy
Wilson, Lena Horne (vocal)
This film has been split into 'soundies'
BORN TO SWING
UK 1972 • 50 mins • Directed by John Jeremy
Born to Swing is John Jeremy’s affectionate tribute to the swing era.
It features the fortunes of ex- Count Basie sideman, including;
Jo Jones, Buck Clayton, Buddy Tate and Dickey
Wells. John Jeremy assembled these great, jazz musicians in the studio
during 1972 to play and reminisce. The whole film has been inter cut, with
archive footage, interviews and a commentary by Humphrey
Lyttelton.
BRANFORD MARSALIS; THE MUSIC TELLS YOU
USA 1992 • 60 mins • Directed by D A Pennebaker
BRADFORD MARSALIS; IT'S A JAZZ THING
UK 2004 • 80mis • Directed by Christopher Walker
Marsalis explores jazz since the seventies. With Bill
Frisnell, Courtney Pine, Chicago Underground Trio, Soweto Kinch, DJ
Spooky
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BRILLIANT MINDS. A TALE OF THREE CITIES
UK 2014 • 60 mins • Directed by Clare Taverner.
A bt BBC documentary about the culture of New York in 1951. Features an interview with Thelonious Monk’s son plus clips of Monk himself. Also features J J Johnson, Sonny Stitt and Howard McGhee in a very short clip.
BROTHERLY JAZZ:THE HEATH BROTHER (DVD available)
USA 2006 • 70 mins • Directed by Jesse Block
documentary about Percy, Albert and Jimmie Heath
BROWNIE SPEAKS - The Life, Music & Legacy of Clifford Brown
USA 2014 • 87 mins • Directed by Don Glanden interviews with Benny Golson, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd, Harold Land, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Clifford Solomon and Herb Geller. (see news page to watch trailer)
BUD POWELL; INTERIOR EXILE
France 1998 • 55mins • Directed by Robert Mugnerot
BUD POWELL
France TV 1959 • 20 mins
with Clark Terry (tpt) Barney
Willen (tnr) Pierre Michelot (bass)
Kenny Clarke (drums)
BUD POWELL
France TV 1959 • 8 mins
with Lucky Thompson (tnr) Jimmy
Gourley (gtr) Pierre Michelot (bass)
Kenny Clarke (drums)
BUD POWELL
Denmark TV 1962 • 15 mins
Live from the Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen
with Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen (bass) &
Jorn Elniff (drums)
BUD POWELL ( see JAZZ IN MONTMARTRE) This is an edited version
of the above TV show
BUD SHANK: AGAINST THE TIDE
USA 2010 • 115 mins • Directed by Graham Carter
New documentary about the west coast sax manincludes an interview with the Light House leader / bassist Howard Rumsey, Bud Shank (alto sax) Mike Wofford (piano) Bob Magnusson (bass) Joe LaBarbera (drums)
BUCK CLAYTON ALLSTARS
Belgium 1961• 53 mins • Directed by Yannick Bruynoghe (P)
with Buddy Tate, Gene Ramey, Earl Warren, Jimmy Witherspoon,
Dicky Wells and Sir Charles Thompson blowing
in the studio.
BUT THEN, SHES BETTY CARTER
USA 1980 • 53mins • Directed by Michelle Parkerson
with Lionel Hampton
CANADIAN CAMEO SERIES – SPOTLIGHT NO. 2
CANADA 1953 • 120 mins • Directed by ??
with Paul Bley Trio and Stan Kenton
CANDIDO HANDS OF FIRE
68 Mins • Directed by Ivan Acosta
with Billy Taylor and Randy Weston amongst others.
CANNONBALL ADDRERLEY SEXTET IN JAPAN (P)
1963 • 26 mins •
with Nat Adderley (cnt),
Yusef Lateef (reeds), Joe Zainui (pno),
Sam Jones (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums)
CALLE 54
2000 •106 mins • Directed by Fernando Trueba
Wonderful collection of great Latin jazz featuring the great names of afro-cuban
music. Chucho Valdez, Chico O'Farrill, Paquito D'Rivera,
Cachao etc
CAVALCADE OF BANDS (see TV page)
USA 1950/51 TV series 60 mins
CELEBRATING BIRD The Triumph of Charlie Parker (DVD)
USA 1989 • 58 mins • Directed by Gary Giddens and Kendrick Simmons
CECIL TAYLOR - ALL THE NOTES (DVD)
USA • 2003 • 73mins • Directed by Christopher Felver
Features Derek Bailey, Amiri Baraka, Billy Bang, Elvin Jones, , Al Young, and Mal Waldron.
CECIL TAYLOR AND ALAN GINSBERG
USA 1968 • 10 mins • Directed by D. A. Pennebaker
CHANO POZO (see LOOKING FOR CHANO POZO)
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN (see SOLO FLIGHT)
CHARLES MINGUS Triumph of the Underdog
USA 1997 • 78 mins • Directed by Don McGlynn
The legendary bassists biography was called Beneath the Under Dog. This is
one of McGlynn’s very best films.
CHARLIE MINGUS : JAZZ WORKSHOP IN OSLO
Norway 1964 • 58 mins •
with Eric Dolphy (saxes)
Johnny Coles (tpt) Clifford Jordan
(saxes) Jaki Byard (pno) and Danny
Richmond (drums)
CHARLIE MINGUS (see MINGUS)
CHARLIE PARKER STORY ,THE
UK 2005 • 60 mins • Directed by Tony Followell
Very good film made for UK TV. Interviews with Kim Parker Jay
McShann, Gary Giddens, Peter King, Gillespie
etc
CHASING TRANE: The John Coltrane Documentary
USA 2016 • 99mins • Directed by John Scheinfeld
with Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Benny Golson, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Heath
CHET BAKER ( see LETS GET LOST)
CHET BAKER, THE LAST DAYS OF
Netherlands 1991• 60 mins • Directed b y Willem Ouwerkerk
Very fine film about Chet's last days. Interviews with Russ
Freeman and William Claxton and footage of Chet in different combinations
including the 1983 concert with Stan Getz.
Also a duet of Chet with Red Mitchell the great bassist
playing the piano.
CHET BAKER; LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTTS
UK 1986 • 60 mins
With Elvis Costello and Van Morrison guesting but Michel Grailler (pno) and Riccardo Del Fra (bass) providing the main support.
CHICAGO AND ALL THAT JAZZ USA • 60 mins • Director James Elson
TV show featuring Jimmy McPartland (tpt) Jack Teagarden, (tbn & vocal) Bud Freeman (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet) Pee Wee Russell (clarinet) Joe Sullivan (piano) Eddie Condon (guitar) Bob Haggart, (bass) Gene Krupa (drums) (see clip below)
CHICO HAMILTON- DANCING TO DIFFERENT DRUMMER
Germany 1994 • Directed Julian Benedikt
CHICO HAMILTON- DANCING TO DIFFERENT DRUMMER
(the directors cut )
Germany 2002 • 82 mins • Directed Julian Benedikt
with Roman Polanski, Gerry Mulligan and
Charly Watts
CHICO HAMILTON AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
JAPAN 1981 • 97 mins • (p)
CHICO HAMILTON QUINTET
1982 • 60 mins • (P)
CHUCHO VALDES AND IRAKERE: LATIN JAZZ FOUNDERS (DVD available)
115 mins • Directed by Ilena Rodriguez
film about the great Cuban piano and his band
CLUB ELEVEN REUNION
UK 1985 • 72 mins •
Reunion at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London of British modernist who were
the leading lights of bebop in the late forties. They include Scott
(tnr) Hank Shaw, Leon Calvert (tpts)
John Dankworth, Johnny Rogers (alts) Tony Crombie
(drums) Lennie Bush (bass) Norman
Stenfalt (pno). The great Tommy Pollard
(pno ) had died in 19?
COLEMAN HAWKINS AND EARL 'FATHA' HINES (TV) (p)
USA 1965 • 28 mins•
COLEMAN HAWKINS QUARTET (p)
Belgium 1961 • 30 mins • Directed by Yannick Bruynoghe
'Bean' recorded in a Belgium Studio with Jimmie Woods
(bass) George Avanitas (P)
'Kansas' Fields (drs) and Mickey Baker
(gtr)
THE COLTRANE LEGACY
USA 1985 • 60 mins • Directed by Burrill Crohn (p)
with Miles Davis (1959) and his own group with
Eric Dolphy (1963)
COMO SU RITMONO HAYS DOS
• Directed by Andy Garcia
CONFESSIN' THE BLUES; THE MUSIC OF JAY McSHANN
USA 1987 • 35 mins • Directed by W. Stinson McClendon
COOL CATS: Ben Webster & Dexter Gordon
Denmark 2015 • 83 mins • Directed by Janus Rasmussen
Documentary about two of the jazz worlds greatest tenors
COUNT BASIE; THEN AS NOW, COUNTS THE KING
USA 2011 • 70 mins • Directed by Gary Keys
with Ira Gitler, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Benny Powell, Joe Wilder and George Lewis
COUNT BASIE; SWINGIN’ THE BLUES
USA 1992 • 60 mins • Directed by Matthew Seig ( see also TO THE
COUNT OF BASIE on this page)
COTTON CLUB COMES TO THE RITZ
USA 1984 • 65 mins
with Cab Calloway, Max Roach, Adelaide Hall ,Nicholas
Brothers
COTTON CLUB (see THE REAL COTTON CLUB on this page)
CROSSROADS--THREE JAZZ PIANISTS
Canada1988 • 28 min • Directed by Martin Duckworth
Shot in 1987 at the Montréal International Jazz Festival, this documentary film presents musical performances and conversations between three jazz pianists with remarkably different styles--Soviet Leonid Chizhik, Black Montrealer Oliver Jones, and French-Canadian Jean Beaudet.
CRUSADERS (see TV page 'Frankly Jazz')
CRY OF JAZZ
USA 1959 • 33mins • Directed by Edward Bland
Music by Sun Ra
CUBA; THE CRADLE OF LATIN JAZZ
Cuba 2002 • 90 mins • Directed by Torsten Esse
History of the Cuban jazz scene since 1900
CUBA: ISLAND OF MUSIC (DVD available)
72 mins • Directed by Gary Keys
CUBAN PIANISTS - THE HISTORY OF LATIN JAZZ (DVD)
118 Mins / 76 Mins. 2 DVDs
Features Chucho Valdes, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Omara Portuondo etc
CURTIS AMY SEXTET (see TV)
DAVE BRUBECK; LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
USA 1982 • 59 mins • Directed by Vincent Casalaina
with Chris Brubeck, Jerry Berganzi and
Randy Jones
DAVID MURRAY; I AM A JAZZMAN (DVD available)
USA 2008 • 53 mins • Directed by Jacques Goldstein
this has been released with two live performances on DVD.
One with the Gwo Ka Masters and the other with the Black Saint Quartet
DAVID MURRAY QUARTET
1986 • 52 mins • (p)
Live at the Village Vanguard N.Y. with John Hicks
(P) Fred Hopkins (bass)
and Ed Blackwell (drums)
DEVIL’S MUSIC
USA 1999 • 58 mins • Directed by Mari Agui Carter and Calvin Lindsey
features Albert Murray, Billy Taylor and
Marian McPartland
DEWEY TIME
Canada 2000 • 89 mins • Directed by Daniel Berman
Film about the tenor saxist, Dewey Redman and
father of Joshua. Also features Joe Lovano
and Michael Brecker.
DEXTOR GORDON: MORE THAN YOU KNOW (DVD available)
USA 1996 • 52 mins • Directed Don McGlynn
Don's tribute to one of the most charismatic jazzers ever. The Oscar nominated
star of 'Round Midnight'
( see features & below))
DEXTOR GORDON
1979 • 60 mins • (p)
Live at the Maintenance Shop, Iowa State University with George
Cables, Rufus Reid and Eddie Gladden
DISCOVERING JAZZ
USA 1969 • 22 mins • Directed by Berni Willets
A short history of the idiom
DIFFERENT DRUMMER; ELVIN JONES
USA 1979 • 29 mins • Directed by Edward Gray
Portrait of the great ex-Coltrane sideman
DINAH WASHINGTON ;EVIL GAL BLUES
UK 2007 •60 mins • Directed by Jill Nicholls
with Junior Mance. UK TV documentary with lots of interviews with family
members
DIXIELAND
JAMBOREE (ABC)
USA 1935 • 9 mins
with Cab Calloway, Adelaide Hall
DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK
USA 1962 • 46 mins • Directed by H.S. Luske & W. Beaudine
Features Louis Arrmstrong and his band with Kid Ory (tbn) Paul Barnes (soprano sax) Harvey Brooks (pno) Johnny St Cyr (banjo) Alton Redd (drums) Monette Moore (vocal) See Below
DIZZY
GILLESPIE TRIBUTE
Denmark 1993 • 43 mins
DIZZY GILLESPIE; A NIGHT IN TUNISIA
USA 1990 • 28 mins • Directed by Bryan Elsom
DIZZY GILLESPIE; The life and Times of
USA • 90 mins
US TV biography series with Annie Ross, Slide Hampton, Wynton Marsalis etc
DIZZY GILLESPIE
USA • 1965 • 20 mins • Directed by Les Blank
with James Moody and
Kenny Baron
DIZZY GILLESPIE; JAZZ IN A AMERICA
USA 1980 • 90 mins • Directed by Les Blank (P)
Gillespie at the Lincoln Center, New York
DJANGO LEGACY
UK • 1991• 52 mins • Directed by John Jeremy
Another classic film from John Jeremy about Reinhardt's influence. It features
Babik Reinhardt, Gary Potter, Bireli Lagrene plus
rare footage of Django performing
DJANGO REINHARDT
France 1953 • 23 mins • Directed by Paul Paviot
The clip below appears in most films about Django ( there are so few c lips)
DJANGO REINHARDT ; THREE FINGERED LIGHTNING
FRANCE 2010 • 66 mins • Directed Christian
Cascio
DON BYAS IN AMERICA
Netherlands 1970 • 55 mins •
documentary about the the great tenor man after his exile in Europe. With Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Orchestra. Interviews with Gillespie,
Armstrong, Ellington, Paul Gonsalves,Harry Carney,Russel Procope, Roland Hanna
DON ELLIS : ELECTRIC HEART
USA 2007 • 73 mins • Directed by John Vizzusi
documentary about the trumpeter, composer, drummer and big band leader. He wrote the score for the French Connection
DUKE ELLINGTON; LOVE YOU MADLY
USA 1967 • 45 mins • Directed by Richard Moore
DUKE ELLINGTON; ON THE ROAD WITH USA 1968 • 58 mins • Directed by Robert Drew
A great portrait of the Duke with Hodges ,Strayhorn
and Carney
DUKE ELLINGTON IN EUROPE
1959 • 45 mins • (p)
with Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney , Clark Terry, Cat
Anderson ,
DUKE ELLINGTON IN EUROPE
1969 • 42mins • (p)
with Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney , Clark Terry, Cat
Anderson ,
DUKE ELLINGTON: CELEBRATION
1966 • 58 mins •
This is the Ellington Orchestra at Coventry Cathedra,UK
DUKE ELLINGTON; REMINISCING IN TEMPO
USA 1991 • 88 mins • Directed by Robert Levi
Superb documentary on Duke Ellington, narrated by Julian Bond and featuring
interviews with Gunther Schuller,
Irving Mills, Mercer Ellington, Mercedes Ellington,
Sonny Greer, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Fayard Nicholas, Marion Logan,
Sid Kuller, Albert Murray, Herb Jeffries, Barry
Ulanov & Louis Bellson.
DUKE ELLINGTON; REMINISCING IN TEMPO
USA 2005 • 75 mins • Directed by Gary Keys
DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA ; A DRUM IS A WOMAN
1985) •74 mins •
BBC documentary. with. Ruth Ellington, Mercer Ellington,
Cootie Williams, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, Mel Torme, Cab Calloway, Al Hibbler,
Jimmy Hamilton, Dizzy Gillespie&
Joe Williams.
DUKE ELLINGTON; DRUM IS A WOMAN
USA 1957 • 14 mins • Directed by Charles Hill
DUKE ELLINGTON AT THE COTE D'AZUR
1966 • 65 mins •
Ellington narrates this documentary of the band's 1966 appearance at the Antibbes
Jazz Festival with Ella Fitzgerald.
DUKE ELLINGTON AT THE WHITE HOUSE
USA1969 •18 mins •
Ellington celebrates his 70th birthday with an all-star band, including Benny
Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Earl Hines, Clark Terry,
Gerry Mulligan, Paul Gonsalves, Billy Taylor, Willie "The Lion"
Smith, Milt Hinton, Jim Hall, J.J. Johnson, Louis Bellson, Joe Williams,
and others. Narrated by Willis Conover.
DUKE ELLINGTON SWINGS THROUGH JAPAN
USA1964 25 mins •
Walter Cronkite narrates Ellington & his orchestra on their tour of Japan.
DUKE ELLINGTON'S WASHINGTON
USA 1999 57 mins •
Among the interviewees are Billy Taylor and
Ellington biographer John Edward Hasse, as well as several longtime Washingtonians.
A DUKE NAMED ELLINGTON
USA 1988 • 116 mins •
Documentary on Duke Ellington
With Ben Webster, Louis Bellson, Cootie Williams,
Adelaide Hall, Herb Jeffries, Charles Mingus, Clark Terry, Jimmy Hamilton,
Russell Procope.
DUKE JORDAN TRIO (p)
28 mins
The ex -Parker pianist with his own trio (see below)
DUOS; The jazz sessions
Canada 2000 • 57 mins • Directed. by Daniel Berman
With Oliver Jones and David Young
EBONY PARADE (ABC)
USA 1947
A collection of soundies with Count Basie and
Cab Calloway ( see shorts)
EARL HINES
UK 1975 • 60 mins • Directed by Charlie Nairn
Wonderful film made for British TV. This isEarl Hines playing solo in an intimate
club setting and chatting to the director and Frank Hart, the club's clean
up man
EASTWOOD; AFTER HOURS (Live at Carnegie Hall) (DVD available)
USA • 1997 • 106 mins • Directed by Bruce Ricker
with Joshua Redman, Barry Harris, Jon Faddis, Flip Phillips, Jimmy Scott, Charlie McPherson etc
EDDIE CONDON
USA 1961 • 25 mins • Directed by Bernard Rubin
with Wild Bill Davison (tpt) Cutty
Cutshall (tbn) Peanuts Hucko ( cln )
and Buzzy Drootin (drums)
( see TV pages ' Goodyear Tyre Co.)
EDDIE 'LOCKJAW' DAVIS QUARTET (p)
1985
live in Copenhagen with Niels Jorgen Steen
(pno) Jesper Lundgaard (bass) and
Ed Thigpen (drums)
ED THIGPEN:MASTER OF TIME, RHYTHM AND TASTE (DVD available)
USA • 92 minute• Directed by Don McGlynn
documentary about the great Oscar Peterson drummer
EDDIE PRÉVOST BLOOD
UK • 2013 • 25 mins • Directed by Stewart Morgan
Film about the British percussionist and founder with others of the AMM improvisation group
ELLA FITZGERALD; SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR
USA 1999 • 89 mins • Directed by Charlotte Zwern
Very good documentary from the maker of STRAIGHT, NO CHASER and narrated by
Tony Bennett
ELLA ( see Forever Ella)
ELLA FITZGERALD
UK 1964 (TV) • 47 mins • Directed by Philip Casson
with Oscar Peterson (pno) Ray
Brown (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums)
ELLA FITZGERALD
USA 1966 (TV) • 52 mins
with the Duke Ellington Orchestra
ELLA FITZGERALD IN LONDON
UK 1965 • 45 mins • (p)
with the Johnny Spence Orchestra including
Tubby Hayes, Kenny Clare, Keith Christie and
Harry Klein
ELVIN JONES (see Different Drummer on this page)
EPITAPH BY CHARLES MINGUS
1989 •140 mins •
Gunther Schuller conducting the premiere of of the Mingus composition. The Orchestra
includes Wynton Marsalis (tpt),
John Handy (sax), Urbie Green (tbn),
Bobby Watson (sax), John Hicks, Lew Soloff
(tpt), Eddie Bert (tbn), John Abercrombie (gtr),
Vic Lewis, Brit Woodman (tbn) Roland Hanna
(pno), Jerome Richardson (sax)
ERROLL GARNER IN PARIS
1973 • 30 mins •
with Ernest McCarthy Jr, Jimmy Smith and Jose Mangual
ESCALATOR OVER THE HILL
USA 1999 • 93 mins • Directed by Steve Gebhardt
With Carla Bley, Jack Bruce, Charlie Haydon (bass), Don Cherry, Mike Mantler
FATS WALLER: THIS JOINT IS JUMPIN’
USA 1987 • 52 Minutes • Directed by Howard Johnson
FESTIVAL
USA 1972 • 48 mins
Host Doc Severinsen introduces Ella Fitzgerald, Duke
Ellington, Dave Brubeck, The original Good man quartet with Wilson,
Hampton and Krupa, Gillespie, Earl Hines and
Barney Bigard
FIDDLERS DREAM
USA 1987 • 24 mins • Directed by W. Stinson McClendon
Film about the swing violinist and guitarist Claude
Williams with Grappelli, Jay McShann and
Joe Turner
FIDDLERS THREE
UK 1988 • 50 mins • Directed by John Jeremy
FINDING CARLTON: UNCOVERING THE SORY OF JAZZ IN INDIA
2010 •
FLASH
France 1962 • ? mins • Directed by Allan Zien Zoot Sims (tnr) with Bob
Whitlock (bass) Henri Renaud (pno) and
Jean-Louis Veiale (drums)
FOREVER ELLA
USA 1999 • 92 mins
Narrated by Nancy Wilson with interviews with Benny
Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Anita o'Day and Rosemary
Clooney
FORGOTTEN TENOR (see Wardell Gray)
FOUR HITS AND A MISTER
UK 1962 • 15 mins • Directed by Douglas Hickox Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band
FRED FIRTH (see Step Across the Border)
FREDDIE HUBBARD LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
USA 1982 • 59 MINS • (p)
with Cedar Walton, Ron Carter and
Lenny White (drums)
FROGDANCE; LOL COXHILL
UK 1990• 55 mins • Directed by ??
GENE KRUPA; America's Ace Drummer and his Orchestra
USA 1941 • 10 mins • Directed by Leslie Rouse
GARY BURTON (P)
1985 • 59 mins
Gary and his Quartet live at the Montreal Jazz Festival
GENIUS OF LENNY BREAU ,THE
Canada 1999 • 95 mins • Directed by John Martin
GEORDIE JAZZ MAN ( see below under JAZZ MAN) and NEWS page for the latest trailer
GEORGE SHEARING (P)
1981 • 35 mins •
with the great Brian Torf on the bass
GERALD WILSON (see TV 'Frankly Jazz')
GERRY MULLIGAN,1927-1996
France 1998 • 52 mins •
documentary on the great baritone sax with Art Farmer, Lee
Konitz and Bob Brookmeyer ( The English
version is about five minutes shorter)
GERRY MULLIGAN; JAZZ COLLECTION
USA 1996 • 52mins
GERRY MULLIGAN : JAZZ AMERICA (DVD available)
USA •1981 • 89 mins
unreleased material with Harold Danko (pno) Frank Luther (bass ) and Billy Hart (drums)
GIRLS IN THE BAND (DVD available) USA
2012 • ? mins • Directed by Judy Chaikin
New documentary covering the history of women in jazz
. See trailer below
GREGORY PORTER: DON’T FORGET YOUR MUSIC
UK 2016 • 86 mins • Directed by Alfred George Baily
Documentary about the great singer.
GREAT DAY IN HARLEM, A (DVD available)
USA 1994 • 60mins • Directed by Jean Bach
One of the very best films about jazz and that famous photograph
GREAT GUITARS
1979 • (P)
With Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel with
Joe Byrd (bass) and
Wayne Phillips (drums)
a number of hours of this group was recorded live at The Maintenance Shop,
Iowa State University and released on a number of videos( and DVD's).
THE GREAT ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAZZ PARTY
USA 1977 • 90 mins • Directed by Vilis Lapenieks
with Eubie Blake, John Faddis, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Frank Rosolino
HAMPTON HAWES ( see TV Jazz Casuals)
HAMPTON HAWES & SONNY CRISS ALL STARS with Big Joe Turner Live at Memory Lane 1970
USA 1970 • 30 mins • Directed by Jack Lewerke Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet) Sonny Criss (alto sax) Teddy Edwards (tenor sax) Hampton Hawes(piano) Leroy Vinnegar(double bass) Bobby Thompson (drums)
and Big Joe Turner (vocals)
HARLEM JAZZ FESTIVAL
USA 1955 • 50 mins .• Directed by Joseph Kohn
Features Count Basie, Nat King Cole,Lionel Hampton,
Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington
HAROLD ARLEN; OVER THE RAINBOW (DVD available)
USA 1999 • mins • Directed by Don McGlynn
Film about the composer of 'Over the Rainbow' and hundreds of other
songs that have become jazz standards.
HEATH BROTHERS see BROTHERLY JAZZ
HERB JEFFRIES; A COLORED LIFE
USA 2008 • 60 mins• Directed by Kim Clemons and Kimberly Dunn
documentary about the Duke Ellington singer
and the first African American cowboy movie star
(see trailer below)
HERE'S TO LIFE; SHIRLEY HORN
1992 • 60mins
documentary about the great singer with Quincy Jones, Carmen
McRae and Johnny Mandel
HERMAN LEONARD; JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHER
UK 1988 • 30mins •
documentary about the great photographer who captured all the greats of the 40's
and 50's. The film includes a great jam session with a lineup the includes
Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims and
James Moody
HERMAN LEONARD: SAVING JAZZ (DVD)
UK 2006 • 60mins • Directed by Leslie Woodhead
A post Katrina documentary about New Orleans and the saving Leonard's great photo
collection. Numerous New Orleans born musicians take part including Wynton
Marsalis
HISTORY OF BOOGIE WOOGIE
UK 1986 • 50 mins • Directed by John Jeremy
with Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons,
Tuts Washington &
Professor Longhair, historical commentary by Paul Oliver
& Francis Wilford Smith, and live performances by Big
Joe
Duskin, Axel Wingenberger, George Green & Bob
Hall.
HISTORY OF JAZZ
Dominican Republic 1991 • 50 mins • Directed by Chuchy Gonzalez
History of jazz in Latin America
HOAGY CARMICHAEL
USA1939 • 10 mins • Directed by Leslie Roush
This short features Hoagy (backed by Jack Teagarden
and his band) singing a selection of his songs
HOOTIE BLUES
USA 1978 • 30 mins • Directed by Bart Backer
Film about Jay McShann, the great swing pianist who gave Charlie
Parker his first big break
HORACE PARLAN ON HORACE PARLAN (DVD)
USA 2000 • 57 mins • Directed. by Don McGlynn
Another great film from McGlynn, about the one time Mingus piano player.
HOWARD RUMSEY (see Jazz on the West coast - The Lighthouse)
I CALLED HIM MORGAN
USA 2016 • 92 mins • Directed by Kasper Collins
A documentary about relationship between jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his wife Helen, with Wayne Shorter, Charlie Persip
IMAGINE THE SOUND
1981• 91 mins
documentary on free jazz players such as Cecil Taylor, Archie
Shepp,Paul Bley and
Bill Dixon
IMPRESSIONS OF C.AT.S.
• Directed by Max Watkins
IN THE KEY OF OSCAR
Canada 1992 • 94 mins • Directed by William R. Cunningham & Sylvia Sweeney
Film about the great Oscar Peterson
IN THE KEY OF EH; PAUL BLEY
Canada • 1996 • 25mins HERE'S TO LIFE; SHIRLEY HORN
1992 • 60mins
documentary about the great singer with Quincy Jones, Carmen
McRae and Johnny Mandel
INSIDE OUT IN THE OPEN
USA 2001• 60mins • Directed by Alan Roth
with Marion Brown, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Alan Silva, Burton Greene, Sun Ra, Matthew Shipp, Reggie Workman and Peter Brotzmann
Fascinating documentary about free jazz
INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ
USA 1952 • Directed by Dennis Sanders
IRAKERE MUSIC
Cuba ?? • 19 mins • Directed by Melchor Casais
Short film about the very best jazz group to come out of Havana, Cuba
IT'S A JAZZ THING (see Bradford Marsalis)
IT’S TIME FOR ‘T’. JACK TEAGARDEN
USA 1996 • 120 mins • Directed by Bob Gibbons
Entertaining film about one of jazz's greatest trombonists. Includes interviews
with Jack, Charlie and
Norma Teagarden
JABULA - A BAND IN EXILE
UK 1981 • 40mins • Directed by Jan Bussemaker
Film about the South African group in England
JACK JOHNSON
USA 1970 • 88 mins • Directed by William Clayton
Sound track by Miles Davis with Herbie
Hancock, John McLaughlin, Steven Grossman, Jack de Johnette and
Billy Cobham
JACK JOHNSON, THE RISE AND FALL OF
USA 2004 • 214 mins • Directed by Ken Burns
This is Burn's latest film for American TV covering the same subject as the
above film. This time the soundtrack is by Wynton
Marsalis
JACK SHELDON IN NEW ORLEANS
USA1988 • 60 mins • Directed John Beyer (P)
The great west coast trumpeter in performance.
JACKIE McLEAN ON MARS
USA 1979 • 30 mins • Directed by Ken Lenvis
Profile of the post bop altoist playing with his septet and teaching
JACKIE PARIS : TIS AUTUMN,THE SEARCH FOR JACKIE PARIS
USA 2007 • 99mins • Directed by Raymond De Felitta
documentary about long forgotten fifties singer Jackie Paris. Features James
Moody, Teddy Charles, Howerd Rumsey etc
JAKI BYARD
1980 • 25 mins • (P)
Solo and with his big band 'The Apollo Stompers'
JAMES BOOKER: BAYOU MAHARAJAHUSA
2013 • 90mins • Directed by Lily Keber
The life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker with Harry Connick Jr and Dr John
JAMIE CULLAM; LIVE AT BLENHEIM PALACE (P)
The young singer and pianist live at the UK Stately Home
JAMMING The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity
JAMMIN' THE BLUES
USA 1944 • 10 mins • Directed by Gjon Mili
One the very best short films about jazz. Shot in an almost film noir style
with Lester Young, 'Sweets' Edison, Illinois Jacquet,
Jo Jones, Barney Kessel, John Simmons and Marie
Bryant (vocals)
JAMMIN' (aka J.A.T.P.)
1950 • 11mins • Directed by Gjon Mili
Long thought lost, here is Gjon Mili's
The un - released follow-up to "Jammin' The Blues." Although
"Celebrity" & "Ballade" (both featuring Charlie
Parker)
have long been available on albums, and some of the footage
of Bird appears in the film "Celebrating Bird," the
majority of the film is new, and the solos are magnificent
throughout. In addition to Bird, the musicians include
Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Bill Harris, Flip Phillips,
Sweets Edison, Hank Jones, Ray Brown, Buddy Rich &
Ella
Fitzgerald ( clip below)
JANE MONHEIT LIVE AT THE RAINBOW ROOM
2002 • 100 mins •
JAZZ AMERICA
• Directed by Stanley Dorfman
J. A. T. P. ( Jazz at the Philharmonic)
USA 1950 • 15 mins • Directed by Gjon Mili
This film is "Jammin" (see above)
JAZZ AT THE MALTINGS
UK TV 1968 ( see TV)
JAZZ AT THE SMITHSONIAN
USA 1982 • 58 mins ( series)
Various performances under the leadership of the following; Benny
Carter, Art Farmer, Bob Wilbur, Joe Williams, Mel Lewis, Red Norvo, Art Balkey,
Red Norvo
JAZZ AT THE HALFNOTE
USA • 28 mins Lennie Tristano Quintet (see TV)
THE JAZZ BARONNESS • USA • 2009 • 82 mins • Directed by Hanna Rothschild (DVD available)
With Chico Hamilton, Quincy Jones Sonny Rollins, Roy Haynes
Narrated by Helen Mirren
Film about Baroness Panonnica Rothschild de Koenigswarter. A friend and supporter of early bebop stars like Monk and Parker
JAZZ COUNTERPOINT: DANNY BARKER
1985 • 28 mins Billy Taylor interviews and plays duets with the legendary New Orleans
guitarist.
JAZZ DANCE
USA 1954 • 22 mins • Directed by Roger Tilton
filmed in New York with Jimmy Archey, Jimmy McPartland,
Pee Wee Russell, Willie 'The Lion' Smith, Pops Foster and
George Wettling
JAZZMAN FROM THE GULAG
France 1999 • 58 mins • Directed by Pierre-Henry Salfati
Film of German trumpeter star of the forties Eddie(
Jack ) Rosner ( see TV pages under UK, Storyville)
JAZZ GREATS AT THE MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
1985 • 89 mins
Hosted by Oscar Peterson with
Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson,
Dizzy Gillespie, Cleo Laine, Tony Bennett, Pat Metheny,
Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Stephane Grappelli,
Jean-Luc Ponty, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollinsetc.
JAZZ IN EXILE
USA 1978 • 30 mins • Directed by Chuck Francis
Film about jazzers in Europe including Phil
Woods, Richard Davis, Dextor Gordon Freddie Hubbard and McCoy
Tyner
JAZZ IN MONTMARTRE; THE BUD POWELL TRIO (see Bud Powell)
1962 • 5 mins
w. Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen & Jorn Elniff
JAZZ IN THE PIAZZA
Italy • 1974 • 78 mins • Directed by Pino Adriano
Film of the 1974 Umbria Jazz Festival with Horace
Silver Quintet, Charlie Mingus Band, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis
Big Band, Sonny Stitt Quintet, Keith Jarrett and
Anthony Braxton with
Dave Holland and
Sam Rivers
JAZZ IS MY NATIVE LANGUAGE; A PORTRAIT OF TOSHIKO AKIYOSHI
USA 1983 • 60 mins • Directed by Renee Cho
with Lew Tabackin. Film of the Japanese American pianist, composer and big
band leader. JAZZ IS OUR RELIGION
UK • 1971 • 50 mins • Directed by John Jeremy
One of John's first films focuses on the photographs of Valerie Wilmer, one
of the jazz world’s great practitioners, while a who’s who of jazz,
comment. With Jazz poems by Langston Hughes and Ted Joans.
THE JAZZ MAN, Keeping the Be-bop spirit alive in a modern Hip-hop age ( See news page for trailer)
UK • 2013 • 60 mins • Directed by Abi Lewis
A film about Keith Crombie and the Jazz Café in Newcastle UK. This film has now be issued as THE GEORDIE JAZZ MAN (See above)
THE JAZZ MESSENGER; ART BLAKEY
1987 • 80mins
documentary on Blakey with Wayne Shorter, Courtney Pine,
Dizzy Gillespie, Walter Davis, Jr.,Benny Golson, Roy Haynes, Wynton Marsalis,
Curtis Fuller,Terence Blanchard & Donald
Harrison.
JAZZ ON A SHOE STRING; PETER IND
UK • 1999 • 55mins
Film about the great UK bassist, a one time Lennie
Tristano sideman and founder of Wave Records
JAZZ ON A SUMMERS DAY (DVD available)
USA • 1960 • 90 mins • Directed by Bert Stern
Colourful record of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. A jazz line up to die
for, including Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Dinah
Washington, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, George Shearing, Jim Hall, Rex Stewart,
Sonny Stitt, Bob Brookmeyer, Anita O’Day, Jimmy Giuffre, Jack Teagarden,
Buck Clayton and for some strange reason, a very young Chuck
Berry. (below is Anita o'Day iconic performance in the film. This DVD is a must for all jazz film lovers)
JAZZ ON THE WEST COAST: THE LIGHTHOUSE (DVD available)
USA 2005 • 78 mins • Directed by Ken Koenig
New film about the famous Jazz Club on Hermosa Beach near Los Angelos.
The bass player Howard Rumsey led various
groups there for nearly twenty years. These groups featured the very
best of West Coast musicians who would also make a valuable contribution
to numerous soundtracks of Hollywood movies of the Fifties and early
Sixties. Many of them would also make appearances in films. Includes
interviews with Rumsey, Bud Shank etc
JAZZ; THE INTIMATE ART
USA 1968 • 54 mins • Directed by Robert Drew
With Armstrong, Gillespie, Brubeck and
Charles Lloyd with Keith Jarrett
JAZZ SEEN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WILLIAM CLAXTON
Germany • 2001• ? mins • Directed by Julian Benedickt
Movie about the great jazz photographer from the director of BLUE NOTE; A
HISTORY OF MODERN JAZZ
JAZZ 625 (see TV page)
JAZZ WOMEN
USA / Italy • 2001• Directed by Gabriella Morandi
with Abbey Lincoln, Annie Ross, Dakota Staton
and Etta James
JAZZ WOMEN ON VIDEO: FOREMOTHERS 1932-1952
28 mins •
with Nina Mae McKinney and
Eubie Blake, Helen Humes with Count Basie,
Maxine Sullivan, Ida Cox, Sister RosettaThorpe with Lucky Millinder,
Billie Holiday with Basie,Rita Rio & Her Mistresses Of Rhythm, Ada Leonard's
All-
American Girl Orchestra & The International Sweethearts Of
Rhythm.
JAZZIN’ IN THE BLACK FORREST
Germany 2006 • 91 mins • Directed by Elle Baur
documentary about the MPS record label.
JESSICA WILLIAMS in Solo Performance
USA 1998 • Directed by Paul Marshall
JIM HALL: A LIFE IN PROGRESS
USA 1998 • 60 mins • Directed by Bruce Ricker
Portrait of the great guitarist with Chico Hamilton,
Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Greg Osby
JIMMY SCOTT; ALONE TOGETHER
USA 2000 • 40 mins • Directed by Matthew Buzzell
Portrait of the ex Lionel Hampton singer who
has made something of comeback in the last couple years.
JIMMY SCOTT; IF YOU ONLY KNEW
USA 2002• 77 mins • Directed by Matthew Buzzell
This is an upgraded version of the above with more live footage which takes
into account Scott's recent comeback
JOE ALBANY; A JAZZ LIFE (DVD)
USA 1980 • 57 mins • Directed by Carole Langer
Film about the wayward bop pianist. Joe talks about his career and personal
problems. Great performances from his trio playing a selection of Parker
numbers and ballads. With Chris Berg (bass)
and Lee Abrams (drums)
JOE WILLIAMS; A Portrait in Song
USA 1997 • 53 mins • Directed by Burrill Crohn
Film about the great Count Basie vocalist
JOHNNY GRIFFIN AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD (P)
USA 1988 • 60 mins • Produced by Ben Sidran
Straight live performance
JOHNNY GRIFFIN: THE JAZZ LIFE
1981• 55 mins
with Ronney Matthews(pno)
Kenny Washington (drums) and
Ray Drummond (bass)
JOHNNY MERCER; THE DREAMS ON ME (DVD available)
USA/UK • 100 mins • Directed by Bruce Ricker
Another wonderful Clint Eastwood produced documentary. on the great American songwriter.
JOHN CARTER AND BOBBY BRADFORD
1980 • 60mins • (P)
JOHN COLTRANE ( see COLTRANE LEGACY)
JOHN COLTRANE; ST JOHN COLTRANE
UK 2003 • 40 mins • Directed by Lol Lovett
This film includes rare footage of Coltrane playing 'A Love Supreme' at the
Antibes Jazz Festival. It has interviews with Benny
Golson, Archie Shepp and the British MP Ken Clark
JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET IN BELGIUM
1964? • 38 mins
JOHN COLTRANE ( see World According to John Coltrane)
JOHN HAMMOND; FROM BESSIE SMITH TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
USA 1987 • 60 mins • Directed by Hart Perry
Portrait of the legendary producer and writer. A very important figure
in the history of jazz and noted for his promotion of racial integration
in jazz.
JOHN ZORN: A BOOKSHELF ON TOP THE TOP OF THE SKY
2002 • 82mins • Directed by Claudia Heuremann
KANSAS CITY ; JAZZ 34 (DVD available)
USA 1996 • 55 mins • Directed by Robert Altman
All the musicians who worked on and appeared in the film Kansas City (see
features)blowing together on the set of the Hey Hey Club. They include Jesse
David, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Don Byron, Victor Lewis, Russell Malone,
Geri Allen, David Murray, Joshua Redman, James Carter, Nicholas Peyton
and vocalist Kevin Mahogany. Narrated by Harry
Belafonte
KEEP ON KEEPIN ON
USA 2014 • 84 mins • Directed by Alan Hicks
A new documentary about the great Clark Terry and one of his last pupils has been released.
KEEPING TIME;THE LIFE, MUSIC AND PHOTOGRAPHY OF MILT HINTON
USA 2002 • 59 mins • Directed by David Berger,Holly Maxson and Kate
Hirson
One of the very best jazz films made about jazz musicians,this is about the
great swing bassist who was,also responsible for the 8mm footage used in"
A Great Day in Harlem" . With Hinton, Quincy
Jones, Doc Cheatham, Richard Davis, ChristianMcBride, Joe Williams, Rufus Reid, Eddie Gomez, Jon
Faddis, Clark Terry and Bradford Marsalis.
KEITH JARRETT; THE ART OF IMPROVISATION
UK 2004 •80 mins • Directed by Mike Dibb
Another fine film from the director / producer of the Miles Davis Story (
see this page)
Includes long interviews with Jarrett plus Gary Peacock
(bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums)
KID THOMAS and the Preservation Hall Band (P)
USA 1980 • 58 mins • Directed by Carl Colby
LAMBERT AND CO.
USA 1964 • 14 mins
Vocalist Dave Lambert and his group in the
recording studios
LANGSTON HUGHES; The Dream Keeper
USA 1988 • 58 mins • Directed by St. Clair Bourne
Biography of the jazz poet. Music by drummer Max Roach
L. A. JAZZ; LIVE AT THE LIGHT HOUSE
USA 1981 • 30 mins x 4 • Directed by Louis J. Horvitz
collective personnel include Ahmad Jamal, Art Pepper,
Jimmy Witherspoon, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen MacRae
LARS GULLIN; ??
Sweden ?? • 45 mins •
LAST DATE; ERIC DOLPHY
Neth 1992 • 92 mins • Directed Hans Hylkeman
With Dolphy, Hal Bennick and Buddy Colette, Ted Curson,
Jaki Byard
LADY DAY; The Many Faces of Billie Holiday
USA 1991 • 60 mins • Directed by Matthew Sieg
with Harry Edison, Buck Clayton, Annie Ross
and Carmen McRae
LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL
USA 1994 • 60 mins • Directed by Rochelle Calhoun
Film version of the stage play with Kimberly Herbert in the role of Holiday
LAMBERT AND CO
USA 1964 •
Short film about Dave Lambert auditioning
LAST OF THE BLUE DEVILS
USA 1979 • 90 mins • Directed by Bruce Ricker
Wonderful film about the great Kansas City swing musicians including
Count Basie, Joe Turner, Jay McShann, Jo Jones, Budd Johnson etc.
THE LAST OF THE FIRST
USA 2004 • 88 mins • Directed by Anja Baron
This is about The Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, a group of vintage musicians
who made their name in the 20's and 30's.
with Al Casey, Lawrence Lucie, Bubba Brooks, Johnny Blowers, Ivan Rolle, Laurel Watson
LAST SOLO: KEITH JARRETT
1981• 92 mins •
Jarrett playing solo in Tokyo
L' ADVENTURE DU JAZZ
FRANCE 1969 • Directed by Louis and Claudine Pannasie
Those performing include Buck Clayton, Vic Dickenson,Budd
Johnson, Willie
' The Lion' Smith, Count Basie, Duke Ellington etc
LEADERS: JAZZ IN PARIS 1988 (DVD) USA / France • 50 mins
with Lester Bowie, Arthur Blythe, Chico Freeman, Cecil McBee, Kirk Lightsey in concert
LEE KONITZ; PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST AS A SAXOPHONIST
USA • 83mins • Directed by Robert Daudelin
LEGEND OF BOP CITY
1998 • 52 mins
San Francisco's famous after-hours jazz club is remembered through a large
collection of photos and interviews with Teddy Edwards,
Frank Foster, Roy Porter, Clora Bryant &
Herb Wong.
LEGEND OF TEDDY EDWARDS (DVD available)
USA 2001 • 85 mins • Directed. by Don McGlynn
This is McGlynn’s latest film about the veteran tenor sax who gained
international recognition with the Max Roach/ Clifford
Brown Quintet
LEGACY OF THE DRUM
USA 1970 • Directed by Sam Weiss
with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis
LE JAZZ HOT; THE STORY OF JAZZ IN FRANCE
UK 1987 • 100 mins • Written By Russell Davis
LENNIE TRISTANO (see Jazz at the Half Note on this page
and TV)
LENNIE TRISTANO:MANHATTON STUDIO(see Manhattan Studio on
this page)
LENNIE TRISTANO: Copenhagen Concert (DVD available)
Denmark 1965 • 60 mins
The great post bop pianist playing solo at the Tivoli Gardens Concert Hall
LES McCANN TRIO ( see TV 'Jazz Casuals')
LES McCANN TRIO Live at Shelly Manne Club
USA 1970 • 30 mins • Directed by Jack Lewerke
with Les McCann (piano & vocals) Jimmy Rowser(double bass) Donald Dean (drums)
LES PAUL - CHASING SOUND! (DVD available) 90 mins
with B.B. King, Tony Bennett, Chet Atkins
LES PAUL: THE WIZARD OF WAUKESHA USA • 1979 • 60 mins • Directed by Catherine Orentreich
Superb documentary about the great guitarist covering most of his career
LESTER YOUNG (see Song of the Spirit)
LETS GET LOST
USA 1988 •120 mins • Directed by Bruce Weber
Film about Chet Baker
LIBERTY STREET BLUES
Canada 1988 • 78 mins •
documentary about New Orleans
LIFT THE BANDSTAND
USA • 50 mins • Directed by Peter Bull
Features Steve Lacy (see below)
LIGHTHOUSE, THE (see Jazz on the West Coast)
1959, THE YEAR THAT CHANGED JAZZ UK • 60 mins
documentary about four classic records released in 1959. Miles Davis; Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck; Time Out. Charlie Mingus; Ah Um, Ornette Coleman; The Shape of Jazz to Come
LIONEL HAMPTON LIVE IN EUROPE.
Japan 1984 • 83 mins • Produced by Larry Finley Lionel Hampton and his All-Star Band
LIONEL HAMPTON: JAZZ LEGEND: KING OF THE VIBES (DVD available)
70 mins
LISTEN; GERRY MULLIGAN
LISTEN UP; THE LIVES OF QUINCEY JONES (DVD available)
USA 1990 • 115 mins • Directed by Ellen Weissbrod
LIVING JAZZ
UK1961 • ? mins • Directed by Jack Gold
with the Bruce Turner Jump band with John
Chilton (tpt), Jim Bray (bass) and Johnny
Mumford (tbn)
LOL COXHILL (see 'Frogdance' on this page)
LOOKING FOR CHANO POZO
Cuba 1987 • 27 mins • Directed by Rebecca Chavez
Portrait of the great Cuban conga player who came to fame with
Dizzy Gillespie big band of the forties.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG (see also SATCHMO)
Armstrong appeared in nearly two dozen feature films (see Features page )
LOUIS ARMSTRONG 1900-1971
USA 1971 • 59 mins • Produced by Joan Richman
a CBS TV news special made just after his death
LOUIS ARMSTRONG REMEMBERED
UK 1984 • 52 mins • Directed by Terry Henebery
with Arvill Shaw, Nat Pierce, Bob Haven, Barrett Deems
and John Mince
LOUIS ARMSTRONG;THE WONDER FUL WORLD OF
UK 1984 • 56 mins • Directed by John Akofram
Same musicians as above and narrated by Humphrey Lyttelton
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
USA 1963 • 30 mins • Directed by Richard Moore
made for TV ( see TV pages 'Jazz casuals)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
USA 1961 •25mins • Directed by Mike Bryan
The All Stars in performance (part of the Goodyear Tyre concerts made for
TV
(see; Satchmo and TV)
LOUIS PRIMA: THE WILDEST (DVD)
USA 1999 • 90 mins • Directed by Don McGlynn
Prima was the jump jive king of the forties and fifties and with his wife;
the vocalist Keely Smith had a number of hits.
Prima is best known now as King Louis in the 'Jungle Book' and being the main
reason for the feast in that great food film 'Big Night' (Below an early Prima plays with Pee Wee Russell)
MACHITO; A Latin Jazz Legacy
USA 1987 • 58 mins • Directed by Carlos Ortiz
Very good film about the Cuban Band leader Frank 'Machito'
Grillo with Gillespie and Dextor
Gordon
MANHATTON STUDIO
1984 • 75 mins documentary about the New York cool school of the late forties
and fifties with Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, Warne
Marsh, Sheila Jordan, Sonny Dallas
MARIAN MCPARTLAND: IN GOOD TIME (DVD available from http://www.filmsbyhuey.com/films/in-good-time/.
USA • 2011 • 85 mins • Directed by Huey
with Billy Taylor, Elvis Costello, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Bill Frisell, Nnenna Freelon, Renee Rosnes, Dick Hyman
MARY LOU WILLIAMS; MUSIC ON MIND
USA 1989 • 57 mins • Directed by Joanne Burke
Film of the great pianist and composer with Gillespie
and Buddy Tate
MAX ROACH IN SESSION
1980 • 29 mins
The making of the LP "Chattahoochie Red"
MAX ROACH; SIT DOWN AND LISTEN
USA 1984 • 60 mins
MAXINE SULLIVAN: LOVE TO BE LOVED
USA 1990 • 48 mins • Directed by Greta Schiller
Wonderful clips of the great singer with Armstrong. Plus in concert with the
Scott Hamilton Quintet and in the studio with
Dick Hyman, Mel Lewis, Major Holley and Seldon
Power
MAXINE SULLIVAN; LOVE AND BE LOVED
USA1990 • 50 mins
McCONNELL'S BOSS BRASS
Canada 1993 • 54 mins • Produced by Jim Swan
The great Big Band in concert made for Canadian TV
McCOY TYNER; LIVE AT THE WARSAW JAZZ JAMBOREE
1991 • 65 mins.
The great pianist, long associated with John Coltrane, playing Solo in Poland
MEMPHIS IS IN EGYPT; CHARLES LLOYD
USA 1996 • 58 mins • Directed by Dorothy Darr
Portrait of the great tenor saxist and one time "Cannonball"l
Adderly sideman
MEMORIES OF DUKE
USA 1984 • 85 mins • Directed by Gary Keys
Film about the 1968 Mexican tour
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI
USA 1986 • 54 mins • (P)
Live at he Village Vanguard N.Y. with Jim Hall
(g) guesting
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI
France – Germany - Italy 2011 • 102 mins • Directed by Michael Radford
documentary about the piano player with Lee Konitz, Charles Lloyd and John Abercrombie
MIKE MAINIERI QUINTET
1982 • 60 mins • (P)
with Mainieri (vibes) Bob Mintzer (tenor) Warren Bernhart (pno) Eddie Gomez (bass) and Omar Hakim (dms)
MILT HINTON (see 'Keeping Time' on this page)
MILES AHEAD
USA 1986 • 60 mins • Directed by Mark Obenhaus
Portrait of Miles Davis with most of his associates being interviewed
MILES DAVIS STORY
UK 2000 • 100 mins • Directed by Mike Dibb
Comprehensive film made for UK TV
MILES DAVIS
USA 1959 • 28 mins • (P)
Often seen footage of Miles with classic group of
Coltrane, Kelly, Chambers and Cobb plus
the Gil Evans Orchestra
MILES AND FRIENDS
1991 • 60 mins
Miles Davis is reunited with former
band members Bill Evans the saxophonist,
Herbie Hancock,
Al Foster, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Steve Grossman, Joe
Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, John MacLaughlin
Darryl Jones in this concert from the Paris JVC Jazz
Festival. Miles also appears with his regular band with
Kenny
Garrett, Devon Johnson, Richard Patterson, Joseph Foley Ma
Creary and Ricky Wellman.
MILES ELECTRIC: A DIFFERENT KIND OF BLUE
USA 2004 • 87 mins • Directed by Murray Lerner
Film about Miles Davis later period with Herbie Hancock,
Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett, Gary Bartz, Jack DeJohnette, Airto
etc.
THE MILLS BROTHERS STORY (DVD available)
USA 1987 • 56 mins • Directed by Don McGlynn
Another great documentary from McGlynn about the popular vocal trio of the thirties
and forties.
1959, THE YEAR THAT CHANGED JAZZ UK • 60 mins
documentary about four classic records released in 1959. Miles Davis; Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck; Time out. Charlie Mingus; Ah Um, Ornette Coleman; The Shape of Jazz to Come
MINGUS
USA 1968 • 56 mins • Directed by Thomas Reichman
with Walter Bishop, Charlie McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer
and Danny Richmond
MINGUS ( see Triumph of the Underdog) ( see Charlie Mingus)
MINGUS DYNASTY BAND (P)
The director Don McGlynn has made two films of this band in performance
MONK ET PLEYEL
MONK IN OSLO
Norway 1966 • 33 mins • Directed by Harald Steen Jr
Thelonious with Charlie Rouse (tnr), Larry
Gales (bass) and Ben Riley (drums)
MUSIC IN PROGRESS - MIKE WESTBROOK
UK1978 • 44 mins • Directed by Charles Mapleston
MUSICIANS IN EXILE
Canada 1990 • 75 mins • Directed by Jacques Holender
MY NAME IS ALBERT AYLER
Sweden 2005 • 79 mins • Directed by Casper Collins
New film about the post Coltrane tenor men who died in 1970. With Gary
Peacock, George Wein,Sunny Murry, Donald Ayler, etc
NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL
USA 1962 • mins • Directed by Buddy Bregman
With Basie, Ellington. Peterson etc
NAT ADDERLEY
1981 • 60 mins (P)
with Jimmy Cobb, Larry Willis (P) and
Walter Booker (bass)
NOTES FOR A JAZZ FILM / Appunti per un film sul jazz
Italy 1965 • 35 mins • Directed, by Gianni Amico
With Mal Waldron, Don Cherry, Ted Curson Johnny Griffin,
Annie Ross and Gato Barbieri at the
1965 Bologna Jazz festival.
THE NAT GONELLA STORY
UK 1977 • 50 mins • Directed by Tony Staveacre
BBC TV documentary about the British trumpeter Nat Gonella
NIGHT IN HAVANA
USA 1988 • 85 mins • Directed by John Holland Dizzy Gillespie in Cuba with
Arturo Sandoval and Gonzalo Rubalcava
NIGHT IN TUNISIA (see Dizzy Gillespie)
A NIGHT OF JAZZ ; LIVE AT 'SWEET BASIL'
USA 1990 • 60 mins • Directed Electa Brown
The Art Farmer Quartet with
Ron Carter (bass), Billie Higgins (drums)and
Cedar Walton (pno) live at one of New York's
most famous jazz clubs
NINA SIMONE AT RONNIE SCOTT
UK 1984 • 55 mins
Includes interviews as well performances at the club
NINA SIMONE : WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE ?
USA? 2016 • 116 mins • Directed by Liz Garbus
Film about the wayward singer
JAZZ
USA 1972 •30 mins •
One of a series of 'Inside Music' made for US TV
THE ORIGINAL ROMPIN' STOMPIN' HOT AND HEAVY, COOL AND GROOVY ALL STAR JAZZ SHOW USA • 1976 • 59 mins
TV show with Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Max Roach, drums, Stan Getz Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Chico O'Farrill.
ORNETTE; MADE IN AMERCA
USA 1985 • 85 mins • Directed by Shirley Clarke
Film about the post bop alto player
ORNETTE COLEMAN : DAVID, MOFFETT AND ORNETTE
USA 1966 • 26 mins • Directed by Dick Fontaine
film about Coleman's trio with Davis Izenzon
(bass) and Charlie Moffett (drums)
OSCAR ALEMAN; A SWINGING LIFE
Argentina 2002 • 104 mins • Directed by Herman Gaffet
Film about the the guitarist who came to prominence in Paris of the thirties
(see news page) ( below is one of the few clips of Oscar)
OLIVER JONES IN AFRICA
Canada 1990 • 53 min
Canadian pianist Oliver Jones with Dave
Young (bass) and Archie Alleyne (drums)
OSCAR PETERSON; JAZZTALK ; IN THE KEY OF OSCAR
USA 1995 • 53mins •
PAUL HORNE QUINTET ( see TV 'Frankly Jazz)
PAUL HORN; THE STORY OF A JAZZ MUSICIAN
USA 1962 • 26 mins • Directed by Ed Spiegel
Portrait of the flute and sax player and his quintet at Shelley
Manne's west coast club 'The Manne Hole'
PLAY YOUR OWN THING: A Story of Jazz in Europe
Germany 2006 • 90 mins • Directed by Julian Benedikt
Features leading European jazzers plus numerous clips of Jazz greats
PORTRAIT OF PEE WEE RUSSELL
1998 • 29 mins • Directed by Jud Yalkut
documentary about the great clarinet player
PHIL WOODS QUARTET
USA 1979 • 58 mins • (P)
Live at the Maintenance Shop, Iowea State University
with Mike Melillo (P) Steve
Gilmore (bass) and Bill Goodwin (drums)
PHIL WOODS: A LIFE IN E FLAT (DVD available) USA 2005 • 87 mins • Directed by Graham Carter
A film about the great alto man.
PIANO BLUES
USA 2003 • 85 mins • Directed by Clint Eastwood
This is Eastwood's contribution to Martin Scorsese 13 hour series on the blues.
Features interviews with Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles
and others as well as footage of Thelonious Monk and
Art Tatum.
PIANO LEGENDS
USA 1986 • 60 mins • Directed by Burrill Crohn
with Tatum, Waller, Meade Lux Lewis, Mary Lou Williams,
Bud Powell, Peterson, Brubeck etc and introduced by Chick
Chorea
PIE PIE BLACKBIRD
USA 1932 • 9 mins • Directed by Roy Mack
with Eubie Blake and his Band
PLAYING AGAINST TIME ; BARBARA THOMPSON
UK 2010 • 75 mins • Directed by Mike Dibbs
Film about the British saxist and composer
from the director of the Miles Davis Story
PREZ; A JAZZ OPERA
UK 1985 • 55mins • Directed by John Jeremy
REAL COTTON CLUB
UK • 1985 • ? mins • Directed by John Jeremy
with Cab Calloway, Adelaide Hall etc
REED ROYALTY
USA 1992 • 58 mins • Diected by Burrill Crohn
Branford Marsalis hosts this history of
jazz clarinetists and saxophonists. with clips of Omer
Simeon, Pee Wee Russell, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Benny
Goodman, Harry Carney, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton,
Sidney Bechet, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges,
Willie Smith, Gerry Mulligan, Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt,
Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, John Coltrane,
Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton,
Jane Ira Bloom, Paquito D'Rivera.
RISING TONES CROSS
USA 1985/2005 • 111mins • Directed by Ebba John
Film about contemporary jazz in New York with John Zorn, Don Cherry,
Charles Gay, William Parker, Charles Tyler, Peter Brotzmann, Billy Bang
etc
ROLAND KIRK: The Case of the Three Sided Dream
USA 2016 • 87 mins • Directed by Adam Kahan
Docus about the multi instumentalist
RONNIE SCOTT AND ALL THAT JAZZ
UK 1989 • 60 mins • Written and narrated by John Fordham
BBC: Ominbus film about of the famous club celebrating Thirty years.
RUBY AND TINY, HELL DIVIN’ WOMEN
USA 1988 • 30 mins • Directed by Greta Schiller and Andrea
Weiss
see 'International Sweethearts of Rhythm'
SARAH VAUGHAN The Devine One
USA 1987 • 57 mins • Produced by Diane Dufault
SARAH VAUGHAN; THE DEVINE ONE
USA 1991 • 60 mins • Directed by Matthew Seig
with Roy Haynes, Billy Eckstine and Joe
William
SARAH VAUGHAN ; THE SARAH VAUGHAN STORY
USA 1991 • 57 mins • Directed by Toby Byron.
SARAH VAUGHAN : LIVE
USA 1984 • 55mins • Director by Phil Olsman
A concert featuring Sarah Vaughan, with a special appearance
by Joe Williams.
SATCHMO THE GREAT
USA 1957 • 64 mins • Directed by Edward F. Murrow Louis Armstrong and his All Stars on tour in Europe and Africa
SATCHMO; LOUIS ARMSTRONG
USA 1989 • 87 mins • Directed by Garry Giddens and Kendrick Simmons
SAVING JAZZ (see HERMAN LEONARD)
SEPTEMBER SONGS
Canada 2002 • 87 mins • Directed by Larry Weinstein
documentary about the German song writer Kut Weill best known amongst jazzers for
Mack the Knife
SHELLY MANNE QUARTET
USA 1970 • 30 mins • Directed by Jack Lewerke (P)
Live at Shelly's Manne Hole in L.A. with Ray Brown
(bass), Hampton Hawes (pno) and Bob
Cooper (tnr)
SHELLY MANNE (see TV ; Jazz Scene)
SHORTY ROGERS ( see TV ; Jazz Scene)
SHOW GIRLS Canada 1998 • 52mins • Directed by Meilan Lam
Show Girls celebrates Montreal's swinging Black jazz scene from the 1920s to the 1960s
SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO
USA 1955 •26 mins • Directed by Joseph Kohn
(seeTV)
SIDNEY BECHET: TREAT IT GENTLE
UK 1997 • 55 mins • Directed by Alan Lewens
An excellent film made for BBC Arena with Wynton Marsalis
and Woody Allen passing comment. Fine footage of the great man in action
SISSLE AND BLAKE
USA 1923 • 6 mins • Directed by Lee De Forrest
Perhaps one of the first films featuring black jazz musicians. The singer
Noble Sissle with accompanist Eubie
Blake.
Lee Deforrest invented in 1920 a system of putting sound on to film and his
New York studios made hundreds of short sound films between 1921 and 1926.
SIT DOWN AND LISTEN (see MAX ROACH)
SOFT IN THE CENTER
Ireland 1989 • 60 mins • Directed by Katy Radford Andy Sheppard and his group in rehearsal with
Hal Bennick and Chris Biscoe
SOLO FLIGHT; THE GENIUS OF CHARLIE CHRISTIAN (DVD available)
USA • 31mins •
SONG OF THE SPIRIT; The Story of Lester Young
1990 • 110 mins • Directed by Bruce Fredericksen
with John Lewis, John Hammond,
Count Basie, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge and
Jo Jones
SONNY ROLLINS - BEYOND THE NOTES
UK 2010 • 60 mins • Directed by Dick Fontaine
New documentary about the great tenor on his 80th birthday
SONNY ROLLINS LIVE AT LAUREN
Neth. 1973 • 36 mins (P)
with Bob Cranshaw and Walter
Davis Jr
SONNY ROLLINS ; SAXOPHONE COLLOSUS
USA 1986 • 101 mins • Directed by Robert Mugge
Very good film about Rollins performing live in New York and Tokyo
SOUND
OF JAZZ
USA TV 1957 • 60 mins • Directed by Jack Smight
include the Red Allen All Stars,
Thelonious Monk, Billie Hollliday with Mal
Waldron, Count Basie All Stars with
Jimmy Rushing (seeTV)
SOUNDIES, THE
USA 1988 • ? mins • Directed by Don McGlynn
Soundies were three-minute films (about the length of a 78 record) produced
between 1940 and 1946 by the MCM Corporation of America. These films featured
most of the popular acts of the day including hundreds of great jazz musicians.
About eight of these films were joined together at a time, on one reel and
were shown one at a time on prototype musical jukebox called a' Panorams'.
Forerunners of MTV, these films were originally printed in reverse and a series
of mirrors and reflectors projected them correctly on a glass screen inside
the jukebox. At one time there were hundreds of these machines across the
States in cafes, bars and restaurants and customers paid about a dime to see
their favourite artist.
After the war the craze died and the films were sold off and a number of them
were repackaged under different titles.
Today, these ‘soundies’ are an invaluable archive of jazz history
and with Snader telescriptions have been repackaged over the years under different
titles.
(see Shorts page; soundies)
SPIRITS OF HAVANA
Cuba 2000 • 90 mins • Directed by Bay Weyman and Luis Garcia
SPEAKING IN TONGUES: TRIBUTE TO ALBERT AYLER
• 80 mins •
SPITBALL STORY
USA 1997 • 21 mins • Directed By Jean Bach
The story of Diz being fired from the Calloway band with Gillespie,Cab
Calloway, Milt Hinton, and Jonah Jones
STAN GETS; PEOPLE TIME
Germany 1993 • 60 mins
Good documentary film about the great Tenor man
STAN GETZ
67 mins • Mal Wald ron (piano) Ben
Riley (drums) and Yasuhito Mori (bass)
STAN GETZ AND CHET BAKER
1983 •69 mins • (P)
Live in Stockholm with James McNeely (P)
George Mraz (bass) and Vic Lewis (drums)
STAN GETZ QUARTET (P)
1983 • 2 vols of 52 mins
Recorded live in California with Jim McNeeley (P) Mack Johnson (bass) and
Victor Lewis (drums)
STAN KENTON ( see TV; 'The Jazz Scene')
STAN KENTON: ARTISTRY IN RHYTHM
USA 2009 • 117mins • Directed by Graham Carter
Outstanding documentary about the the big band leader. There is a 1945 feature film of the same name
STAN TRACY: THE GODFATHER OF BRITISH JAZZ
UK ?? • 63 mins •
documentary about the British musician who was the 'house pianist ' at Ronnie Scott's
Jazz Club in London for a number of years and accompanied all the leading
US jazz stars who played there.
STEP ACROSS THE BORDER
Germany 1990 • 90 mins • Directed by Nicholas Humbert and Werner
Penzel
documentary about Fred Firth with John
Zorn Arto Lindsay, Iva Bittova, Joey Barron etc
STEPHANE GRAPELLI: A LIFE IN THE JAZZ CENTURY
UK 2002 • 128 mins • Directed by Paul Balmer
This movie includes all known footage of Django Reinhardt
and features Yehudi Menuhin, Martin Taylor, George
Shearing, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Paul Whiteman, Diz Disley, John Ethridge,
Bing Crosby and the Rhythm Boys, Duke Ellington, Gregor et ses and
Art Tatum
STEPHANE GRAPELLI: LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO
USA 1982 • 60 mins • Directed by Carlos Broullon and Raymond Poirier
with Diz Disley (gtr) Martin
Taylor (gtr) and Jack Sewing (bass)
STEVE LACY
1983 • 50 mins • (P)
Live sextet performance in New York plus footage of
Bechet, Coltrane, Monk and Gil Evans
STEVE LACY : LIFT THE BANDSTAND
USA 1985 • 50 mins • Directed by Peter Bull
documentary about the great sax player. Includes footage from the above film
ST LOUIS BLUES
USA 1929 • 15 mins • Directed by Dudley Murphy.
One of the earliest jazz shorts, featuring the great blues singer
Bessie Smith in her only screen appearance, in a dramatic recreation
of the title song.
STANLEY TURRENTINE AT THE VILLAGE GATE
USA 1990 • 54 mins • Directed by Andy Cotton
The great tenor man with Bob Fox (piano)
Dave Styker (g),Scott Ambush (bass)
and Scott Peeker (drums) live at the down town
New York jazz club
THE STORY OF A JAZZ MUSICIAN
USA 1962 • 30 mins • Directed by Ed Spiegel
documentary about the flautist Paul Horn with Fred Katz (cello) Victor Gaskin (bass) and leading his Quintet at Shelly’s Manne Hole featuring Paul Moer (piano) Emil Richards (vibraphone) Victor Gaskin (double bass) Milt Turner (drums)
STORY OF JAZZ
STRANGE FRUIT
USA 2002 • 57 mins • Directed by Joel Katz
documentary about the famous poem made famous by Billie Holiday with music by
Don Byron
SUN RA ; A JOYFUL NOISE
USA 1980 • 60 mins • Directed by Robert Mugg
SWING UNDER THE SWASTIKA
UK 1987 • ? mins • Directed by John Jeremy
SWING THING
UK 2008 • 90mins.
History of the music from the early twenties till the present day.
SWINGMEN IN EUROPE
France 1977 • 90 mins • Directed by Jean Mazeas
A variety of jazz performances that have often been edited into different
films of various lengths for video distribution. Featuring
Sammy Price, Jo Jones, 'Doc' Cheatham, J. C. Heard, Teddy Buckner, Gene Connors,
' Illinois'Jacquet etc
SWORN TO THE DRUM
Cuba 1994 • 35 mins • Directed by Les Blank
SYMPHONY
IN BLACK
USA1934 • 9 mins • Directed by Fred Waller Duke Ellington and his Orchestra with Billie
Holiday
TALMAGE FARLOW
USA 1981 • 60 mins • Directed by Lorenzo DeStefano
Film about the great guitarist Tal Farlow with
Red Norvo, Red Mitchell and George Benson
TAMBO JAZZ
Panama 1992 • 38 mins • Directed by Gerardo Maloney
History of jazz in Panama
TATUM LEGACY (see ART TATUM)
TEDDY WILSON (see Playback on the TV page)
TENOR TITANS
USA 1992 • 60 mins
Branford Marsalis introduces this history of
jazz tenor saxophonists. with Coleman Hawkins,Bud Freeman,
Georgie Auld, Don Byas, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Wardell Gray, Warne Marsh,
Zoot Sims, Stan Getz,
Paul Gonsalves, Eric Dixon, Sal Nistico, Frank Foster,
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Sam "The Man" Taylor, Illinois
Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Charles Rouse, John Coltrane, Wayne
Shorter, Archie Shepp, Sonny Rollins and David
Murray.
TEXAS TENOR;THE ILLINOIS JACQUET STORY
USA 1992 • 81 mins • Directed by Arthur Elgort
On the road and in performance with the Swing era saxist. With Gillespie,
Rollins Clark Terry and Lionel Hampton
THATS BLACK ENTERTAINMENT
USA 1989 • 60 mins • Directed by William Greaves and G. William
Jones
Film of black cinema during the 30's and 40's with Lena
Horne, Nat King Cole and Cab Calloway
THAT'S THE SPIRIT.
USA 1933 • 12 mins • Directed by Roy Mack
A short featuring the Noble Sissle Band with Buster
Bailey, Wilbur De Paris, Cora La Redd and the Washboard Serenaders.
THELONIOUS MONK; AMERICAN COMPOSER
USA 1991 • 60 mins • Directed by Matthew Seig
with Barry Harris, Randy Weston and Ben
Riley
THELONIUS MONK; STRAIGHT NO CHASER (DVD available)
USA 1988 • 90 mins • Directed by Charlotte Zwerin
Intimate portrait of the bop and post bop pianist
THELONIUS MONK; MONK IN OSLO
TIL THE BUTCHER CUT HIM DOWN
USA 1971 • 54 mins • Directed by Philip Spalding
Film about New Orleans trumpeter 'Punch' Miller and
features a host of stars of New Orleans jazz.
TIMEX ALL STAR SWING FESTIVAL
USA 1972 • ?? mins • Directed by Grey Lockwood
Concert filmed at the Lincoln Center, New York. Hosted by Doc Severinsen, with Count Basie, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, The Tommy Flanagan Trio, The Benny Goodman Quartet, Doc Severinsen, Bobby Hackett, Max Kaminsky, Dizzy Gillespie, Barney Bigard, Earl Hines, The Dave Brubeck Quartet
TO THE COUNT OF BASIE
UK 1979 • 52 mins • Directed John Jeremy
TOKYO BLUES Jazz and Blues in Japan
USA 1999 • 62 mins • Directed. by Craig McTurk
TOM HARRELL in Performance
USA 1991•
TONY BENNET: THE MUSIC NEVER ENDS
USA • 2008 • 90mins. Directed by Bruce Ricker Another great Clint Eastwood produced movie tracing the singers career.
TOOTS THIELEMANS IN NEW ORLEANS
USA 1988 • 60 mins • Directed John Beyer Live performance with Fred Hersch at the piano
TORONTO JAZZ
Canada 1963 • 27 mins • Directed by Don Owen
with
Lenny Breau trio, the Don Thompson Quintet and the Alf Jones Quartet.
TOSHIKO AKIYOSHI
1984 • 58 mins (P)
The Big Band with Lew Tabackin (tnr)
(see Jazz is My Native Language)
TRAD JAZZ BRITANNIA
UK 2012 • 60mins • Directed john Williams
documentary about the British post war-war traditional jazz revival scene. Featuring Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Wally Fawkes and unseen interviews with the late Humphrey Lyttelton and George Melly. Narrated by Roger McGough.
TREAT IT GENTLE (see Sidney Bechet)
TRIBUTE TO ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIN
Brazil 1994 • 60 mins? • Directed by Walter Salles
Film about the composer of all those samba numbers. It features Ron
Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson and Gonzalo
Rubalcaba
TRIUMPH OF THE UNDERDOG (see Charles Mingus)
TRUMPET KINGS USA 1985 • 73 mins • Directed by Burrill Crohn
Introduced by Bradford Marsalis. documentary about jazz trumpet from Armstrong onwards
TUBBY HAYES: MAN IN A HURRY(DVD available)
UK 2015 • 55mins • Directed by Mark Baxter & Lee Cogswell
One of Britain finest players is featured in this documentary
with contributions from Simon Spillett, Ray Gelato and Spike Wells
WARDELL GRAY; FORGOTTEN TENOR
USA 1994 • 136 mins • Directed by Abraham Ravett
Portrait of the great swing player. Interviews with Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Buddy DeFranco, Anita Gray McClelland, Gus Johnson and Teddy Edwards plus members of his family
WARREN VACHE ALL STARS (P)
2001• 60 mins
Live in Bern with Howard Alden, Jesse Davis, Alvin
Queen etc.
WILD MAN BLUES
USA 1998 • 100 mins • Directed by Barbara Kopple
On the road with Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band in Europe. An entertaining
film but lets hope Woody doesn't give up his day job
WILD WOMEN DON'T HAVE THE BLUES
USA 1989 • 58 mins • Directed by Christine Dall
Film about early female jazz singers including Bessie
Smith, Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter and
Ida Cox
WILLIE THE LION
USA 2001 • 57 mins • Directed by Marc Fields
Portrait of Willie 'the Lion' Smith one of
the greatest stride pianists in the history of jazz
WOODY HERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
USA 1938 • 9mins • Directed by Roy Mack with vocalist Lee Wiley
WOODY HERMAN: BLUE FLAME(DVD available)
USA 2012 • 110 mins • Directed by Graham Carter
New documentary on the great swingman. ( see trailer below)
WOMEN IN JAZZ ( TV SERIES)
USA 1981 • Produced by Burril Crohn
These films were introduced amongst others byCarmen
McRaeand Marian McPartlandand featuredHelen Humes, Carla Bley and Mary Lou Williams
WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN COLTRANE
USA 1990 • 60 mins • Directed by Toby Byron and Robert Palmer
Mainly performance material with Alice Coltrane
commenting.
with Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, Tommy Flanagan, Roscoe
Mitchell &
Alice Coltrane, the footage includes silent colour home
movies of Trane's last band at the Newport Jazz Festival,
and there is a snippet of Trane's first recording, a 1946
alto sax rendering of "KoKo."
WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET
USA 1992 • 5 mins • Directed Barbara McCollough
with David Murray
WYNTON MARSALIS: CATCHING A SNAKE UK •1985 • 60mins
Documentary about the young Wynton Marsalis with Ellis Marsalis and Art Blakey
WYNTON MARSALIS; BLUES AND SWING
USA 1988 • 79 mins • Directed by Stanley Dorfman
ZOOT SIMS QUARTET
USA 1970 • 30 mins • Directed by Jack Lewerke (P)
with Roger Kellaway (pno),
Larry Bunker (drums)and Chuck Berghofer (bass)
live at Donte's Jazz Club in L.A.
ZOOT SIMS AND RED MITCHEL : IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD (DVD available) Sweden • 1984 • 51 mins
Gerry and Red playing and in conversation with Rune Gustafsson (gtr)
