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The Widcombe Social Club in Bath UK has a concert and film documentary featuring the Dutch ICP Orchestra. Monday 6th November 2017 at 7pm. more details at
http://www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk/event/dutch-jazz-remarkable-icp-orchestra/

The 2017 The Chichester Film Festival and London Film Festival are both showing 'Dreams Are Free' a film about the the greast British tenot player Bobby Wellins (see docus for more info)

A new documentary 'Chasing Trane; The John Coltrane Story' has been released April 2017 in the USA.
See documentary page for mor details

March 11 2017
The Totnes Film Festival ( Devon UK)l is showing a documentary; ‘Conversation with the Wind’ by filmmaker Geoff Dunlop.
This silent production will be accompanied by poetry and live jazz from saxophonist Andy Sheppard.

Five new jazz documentaries have been released in 2016.

NINA SIMONE  : WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE ?

GREGORY PORTER: DON’T FORGET YOUR MUSIC
COOL CATS: BEN WEBSTER & DEXTER GORDON
BILL EVANS: TIME REMEMBERED
ROLAND KIRK: The Case of the Three Sided Dream
See documentary page for mor details

THE JAZZ MAN film (see below) has now been re-released under the title GEORGIE JAZZ MAN. (2016) directed Abi Lewis. The final cut tells the story of Keith, the jazz man, and his uncompromising obsession to keep jazz alive in the North East of England. See new Trailer below

Manchester Jazz festival UK is showing a number of jazz related films running from 17 until 31 July 2016.
Films include Louis Malle’s ‘Lift to the Scaffold ‘with a Miles Davis sound track. ‘The Connection’ with the Freddy Redd Quartet with Jackie McLean; ‘Round Midnight’ with Dextor Gordon, ' Mo Better Blues" Thelonoious Monk: Straight No Chasser' ' All night Long (which features Dave Brubeck Tubby Hayes, Charlie Mingus) and ‘Tubby Hays: A Man in a Hurry’ a little seen documentary about the great British tenor. Furthe,r detail on the features and documentaries pages.
For info go to
http://homemcr.org/event/jazz-on-film/

Below is the trailer for Tubby Hayes: Man in a Hurry

 

The Hollywood bio of Chet Baker 'BORN TO BE BLUE' (2015) has been released in the UK. Another part fact, part fiction

A new film has been released about Miles Davis. MILES AHEAD (2016) is a part fact / part fiction. See features page

Bristol (UK) based group ’Small Days’ (Natalie Davis (vocals) and Dave Merrick (guitar) will be presenting their multi-media Centenary Tribute to Billie Holiday at the American Museum in Bath on Thursday 21st March 2016. This will include film and TV clips of Billie singing, as well as ’Small Days’ performing songs associated with her.
http://americanmuseum.org/

There will be a jazz and film event in Lostwithiel, Cornwall on Saturday 14 November 2015. The Lostwithiel Jazz Cafe in conjunction with the Cornwall Film Festival is presenting a selection of jazz shorts plus a live band.
Further details go to

http://www.lostinfilm.org/jazz-cafe-at-the-movies/

The Spectacle Cinema at 124 S. 3rd St. Near Bedford Ave. N,Y. USA
Is screening three Ornette Coleman films (including Shirley Clarke’ great documentary “Made in America”) From 17th  - 23rd July 2015
For more details;
www.spectacletheater.com/three-for-ornette-coleman.

Joe Spibey, founder of jazzonfilm.com gave an interview with Joe Dimino on KCXL Neon Jazz. It was broadcast on 11th June 2015
Neon Jazz has been airing since 2011. Hosted by Joe Dimino and Engineered by John Christoper in Kansas City, Missouri.
Take a listen on KCXL (102.9 FM / 1140 AM) out of Liberty, MO on Saturday Morning from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. and Sunday Morning from 6:00 - 7:00 a.m. Catch it on TuneIn Radio via the web.

To listen to the show / interview:

http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/2015/06/248th-show-june-1-2015-wwwjazzonfilmcom.html

• below are the tracks chosen by Joe Spibey and used on the June 11 2015 show
• Tracks  2. 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 are from films

1 - Jack Teagarden - King Porter Stomp
2 - Art Pepper – from the documentary “Notes From a Jazz Survivor” 1991
3 - Anita O'day performing at Newport Jazz Festival –from the movie “Jazz on a Summers Day” 1958
4 - Ellington Band Jim Henry's Paradise (Things Ain’t What They Used to Be)       from the movie “Cabin In The Sky” 1942
5 - Joe Spibey - Mean to Me – 1985
6 - Clifford Brown - Easy Living - 1956
7 - Chicago and All that Jazz - China Boy by -Eddie Condon's All Stars
8 - Slim Gaillard & Slam Stewart - The Harlem Congeroos -from the movie “Hellzapoppin’ ” 1941
9 - “Jammin the Blues” movie  1944
10 - Sugar - from the movie “Pete Kelly's Blues” 1953

Two of the American avant-garde director Shirley Clarke’s jazz films have been released on DVD / Blu-ray.
THE CONNECTION this features Jackie McLean (alto) with the Freddie Redd Quartet.
ORNETTE: MADE IN AMERICA, a documentary about the free jazz player Ornette Coleman.
See features and docu pages for more details.

A major documentary has been released about one of the greatest trumpet players in jazz history. BROWNIE SPEAKS - The Life, Music & Legacy of Clifford Brown. (see docu page)
At the moment this DVD is only available on NTSC and is available from www.jazzbooks.com see trailer below.

 

Moochin About have released a new CD in there JAZZ ON FILM series.
They have collected together
Sidney Bechet’s three French films from the mid 50’s; SERIE NOIRE, L INSPECTEUR CONNAIT LA MUSIQUE & AH! QUELLE EQUIPE! (go to features page for more details of the films)
Go to www.moochinabout.com for more info.

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.
‘Keep On Keepin’On’ has been shown at the London Film Theatre on the 8, 9 &10 October 2014.
(see trailer below) Sadly Clark died on the 21 February 2015.

Moochin About has released in October 2014 a new 8 CD box set called Crime Jazz.. It focuses on classic TV crime series.
It includes ( Johnny) Staccato, 77 Sunset Strip, The Untouchables, Peter Gunn etc. (see below for site details and other jazz on film box sets.

Moochin About, a record company, with a very good site, has just released a series of box sets of classic jazz on film features. There latest is a definitive list of nine movies of Hollywood biopics of the fifties; they include the Gene Krupa Story, Glenn Miller Story, Benny Goodman Story, WC Handy (St Louis Blues), Red Nichols (Five Pennies) and the Eddie Duchin Story. Also included are the fictional Pete Kelly’s Blues and Young Man with a Horn. Plus two different scores for the James Dean Story documentary from 1957.
The Film Noir Box (moochino1) includes Shorty Rogers work on Man with The Golden Arm, Chico Hamilton (Sweet Smell of Success) Duke Ellington’sAnatomy of a Murder and John Lewis’ work on Odds Against Tomorrow.
The Beat, Square and Cool set  (moochino2)  includes I Want to Live with the Gerry Mulligan Group. Duke Ellington’s Paris Blues, Shadows with Charlie Mingus, Les Tricheurs with the stars of the JATP. The Freddie Redd score for The Connection (originally on the Blue Note label) with a blistering Jackie McLean on alto.
 Chet Baker’s Italian Movies (moochino3) Five films with scores by pianist Piero Umiliani. Baker also sings on some tracks. They also feature the vocalist Helen Merrill.
The French New Wave (moochino4) includes two scores with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Miles Davis’ improvised soundtrack for ‘Ascenseur Pour I’encafaud’
plus John Lewis and the MJQ work on No Sun in Venice.

Below is part of the review by Darren Allison from Cinema Retro magazine about these box sets..

“First, I can’t emphasise enough just how classy these releases are. In terms of audio quality alone, they are undoubtedly the best I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Sonically, they are simply outstanding, revealing a sharpness, which no other label has seemed to achieve. The recordings are so clean; they almost offer a vibrant new listening experience.
Packaging of this release is also first class; its sturdy hard box contains a 52 page book with extensive liner notes, full personnel details, recording history and full colour reproductions of film posters from around the world. Each of the 5 discs are housed in beautiful card sleeves, each with a generic b/w brick wall design from which the relevant soundtrack’s film poster is pasted. It’s a very nice touch, providing a charming film noir feel to eye as well as the ear.”

www.moochinabout.com

Cardiff University held a  “Jazz and the Cinema” conference on 1st and 2nd November 2013. This was prior to the publication of the their journal “Soundtrack” in January 2014, which focuses on jazz and the cinema. The guest editor Hui M Chan was also the organizer of the conference.
The speakers included Joe Spibey ((jazzonfilm) Frank Griffith (Brunel University) Emile Wennekes (Utrecht University) Adam Biggs ( Bath University) Martha Shearer (King’s College, London and Kingston University) Paul Scott (King’ College, London) Peter Wegele (independent researcher) Wikanda Promkhuntong (Aberystwyth University) Coninneach Shanks (independent researcher) Aaron Hunter (Queen’s University, Belfast)

A new film EDDIE PRÉVOST BLOOD by Stewart Morgan has been made this year (2013)
More information soon

BBC TV screened TRAD JAZZ BRITANNIA in May 2013. A new docu about the British post war-war traditional jazz revival. Featuring Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Wally Fawkes and unseen interviews with the late Humphrey Lyttelton and George Melly.

A new docu called THE JAZZ MAN by Abi Lewis is about to be released

A new DVD film about Woody Herman has been released (see docus page for more details) See trailer below

 

 

One of the best ever Jazz DVDs has been released. Norman Granz “Improvisation* aka “JATP” or “Jammin” the famous unfinished 1950 "sequel" to 1944 "Jammin' the Blues" with Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Buddy Rich, Hank Jones, Bill Harris, Ella Fitzgerald. The 2 disk set includes still photos, interviews and additional material featuring Al Grey, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge, Joe Pass, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Niels Pedersen . “Improvisation” contains over 3 hours of material

A new film has just been released about the 50's UK guitarist and Radio Presenter KEN SYKORA:THE MAN WITH THE JAZZ GUITAR
See UK musicians page for more details and the movie Trailer ( May 2012
)

A new DVD documentary about the great pianist MARIAN MCPARTLAND: IN GOOD TIME is now available.

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  


A new docu about Sonny Rollins premieres on the BBC TV ( 17 Feb 2012) See docu pages

A new film called FINDING CARLTON; Uncovering the Story of Jazz in India, has been shown in New York.( November 2011) More details as they come in. See trailer below.

 

'LOUIS ' A silent film with live jazz was premiered at the Barbican London on Sunday 13 November 2011.
It has a score by Wynton Marsalis and the band is led by Wycliffe Gordon (see features)
See Trailer below

 

A film about Michel Petrucciani directed by Michael Radford was shown at NFT London on 5 November 2011. Mike Radford was there answering questions

The Glasgow Jazz Festival took place at the end of June 2011. This year had jazz on film section that includes the features; All night Long, Mickey One ( with Stan Getz on the soundtrack) I Want to Live. The shorts shown include Symphony in Black and St Louis blues (1929) Joe Spibey, the founder of jazzonfilm.com took part in a discussion on jazz on film on BBC Radio Scotland. Also taking part was the organiser of the films Alison Kerr

The Bath UK International music festival has screened The Triumph of Charlie Parker (see docus) on 31st May 2010.
go towww.bathmusicfest.org.uk

BBC4 (UK) 30/10/09 An hour long docu called Ronnie Scott and... all that jazz.. A repeat from 20 years ago

Over Christmas 2009 BBC four showed a series of film about Swing music. Most were repeats like the films on Armstrong and Artie Shaw. There was a new docu called "The Swing Thing" tracing the history of the music from the Twenties up to today. More info on the BBC4 website.

Jezebel productions have released three of their films on one DVD."International Sweethearts of Rhythm". "Tiny and Ruby: Hell Divin' Women" and "Maxine Sullivan: Love To Be Loved" You can find it at www.jezebel.org
Go to "women in jazz"page for details on films.

A new film about the fifties jazz singer Jackie Paris "Tis Autumn, The Search for Jackie Paris" opened in London in November 2008. See Docus page

Lets Get Lost (1988) the Bruce Weber film about Chet Baker is re-released in London at the Curson cinema on the 6 th June 2008. The director will be there on 5th June for a Q and A session at the start of a retrospective of his work.

The DVD of the above film has a UK release in July 2008. It contains many extras and includes two unseen videos of Chet Baker songs.

A new film about & Albert Ayler opens in the UK in February 2007 (see docus page)

Impro- Jazz DVD has issued a collection of Jazz DVD's which have not been available to buy in any format. They include material of Eric Dolphy, Bud Powell, Chet Baker and Coleman Hawkins. (see DVD page)

BBC4 showed a film about Herman Leonard and his efforts to save his photographic collection. This takes place in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (see Docus page under HERMAN LEONARD)

Brian 'joe ' Spibey coordinator of jazzonfilm.com gave a, film illustrated ,talk at Bath Royal Literary y and Scientific Institute ,Bath on 27 Jan 2006 and at the Southport (UK) Jazz winter weekend on Feb 3, 4and 5, 2006.

This years London Film festival (2005) showed a restored version of The Connection (see features page) on the23 October 2005. The film features Jackie Mclean with the Freddie Redd Quartet More details www.lff.org.uk

In September the National Film Theatre in London had a short season of jazz films called Black World TV. The four programmes are taken from UK television archives and include the following;
Armstrong
and his All Stars from 1968 and Satchmo at Seventy from 1970 (both from the BBC)
Coleman Hawkins with Harry Edison ( 1964 BBC Jazz 625)
Thelonious Monk( 1965 BBC Jazz 625)
|Miles Davis at Ronnie Scott Club (1969) Miles Davis in London (1982)
Jazz Divas (This includes Billie Holiday on UK TV plus Sarah Vaughan and Ella plus Count Basie, Roy Eldrige, Oscar Peterson etc. (contact NFT for Details)

BBC2 (UK) is showed Jazz Britannia starting 22Jjuly. This docu was originally shown on BBC4 (see below)

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. This is Ken Burns (JAZZ) latest film for American TV. It runs for 214 mins with an original soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis. It showed at the National Film Theatre in London on June 23 2005

Jazz on the West Coast - The Light House, A film by Ken Koenig had its World premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival (USA) in April 2005.

Strange Fruit and Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue were shown on the 21 and 22 April 2005 at The Del Mar Theatre in down town Santa Cruz USA

Cheltenham Jazz Festival in the UK which ran from 27 April until 2 May 2005 presented a number of jazz films as well as there usual line up of top international jazz stars. The films include the ubiquitous Jazz on a Summers Day, Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue as well as a number hardly ever seen on the big screen.
For more infowww.cheltenhamfestivals.org.uk

BBC4 (UK) is showing a season of British jazz films including docus and performance films starting this Friday 28 Feb. 2005. These include a three part, three hour docus called Jazz Britannia (being shown over three weeks). They are also showing "The Street." a funny look at Archer Street in London's Soho. A place in the fifties where Jazzers could pick up work and socialize (Archer Street was famous for the music agents being situated there)

In December Channel 4 (UK) showed Mike Dibbs latest film Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation

The Southport (UK) Jazz Weekend runs from the 4th to 6th February 2005. They will be showing a selection of Jazz films as well as the normal live concerts. Further details wwww.jazzinsouthport.co.ukuk

Channel 4 (UKTV) Showed IT'S A JAZZ THING, A Bradford Marsalis narrated docu about about jazz since the seventies (see A to Z docus page)

To the best of this sites knowledge, the Denver (USA) jazz on film festival will not take place in 2005. For more info go to link further down this page

The London Film Festival (20 October - 4 November 2004) is showing The Last of the First, a new film about vintage musicians who made their names in the 20's and 30's and are still performing as the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (more in info about this as it comes in)

Woody Allen's latest release in the UK "Anything Else" features Diana Krall as well as another vintage sound track.

BBC 2 showed the Stan Tracy film "Godfather of British Jazz " on 6 August 2004


During Feb 2004 the jazz on film festival took place in Denver USA again and by all accounts was successful. ( For more information about it see further down this page

Martin Scorsese 13 hour series on the blues was shown on TV ( at least in the UK) and is available to buy. Jazz on film fans will be interested in the Clint Eastwood film, "PIANO BLUES" (see Docus)

The 2003 London Film Festival showed a new film about vocalist Jimmy Scott JIMMY SCOTT ;IF YOU ONLY KNEW on Sunday 26 October 2003 at the National Film theatre. Further details 020 7928 3232 .This film appears to be an upgraded version of the directors earlier docu of Scott ( see Docus A to Z)

the Slough Film Society .U.K is showed Jazz on a Summer's Day as part of the Windsor fringe festival on Tuesday 23 September 2003.For further details phone 0118 969 3724

The Locarno International Film Festival had a Jazz and the Cinema retrospective running between 6 August to 16 2003. Films include Bird, Lady Sings the Blues, Straight No Chaser, Jazz on a Summer's Day

UK TV showed film docu about Herbie Hancock on 29 June 2003 in its South Bank Show slot

The film OSCAR ALEMAN; A SWINGING LIFE has been issued in the the States. At present it is only available video. Below are the comments that came with the film.( see docus page)

"He astounded Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington tried to lure him away from Josephine Baker, who cherished him as the best member of her orchestra. He fled from Hitler and rejected Juan Peron's attempts to get him to play at his public functions. During the golden age of the tango, he attracted multitudes with his outstanding jazz. Of mixed indigenous and Spanish blood, born in the land of tango, Oscar Aleman (1909-1980) was one of the greatest guitarists in history, but that cannot define him. To classify him as a "jazz guitarist" is to restrict him even more. He was a showman who excelled at playing the guitar and interpreting jazz, because that was the kind of music he loved and what best suited his style. That is what led him to be a protagonist of the Parisian music scene in the 1930s and one of the outstanding figures of Argentine performance for decades. This film documents Aleman's exciting life and the tragic family history he had to overcome while it recaps the story of popular music in the 20th century."

In March 2003 BBC (UK) television showed 'Billie on Billie' a new film about Billie Holiday (see TV page)

Bradford on Avon (Wiltshire) Film Society showed Great Day in Harlem and Jazz on a Summer's Day at the Wiltshire Music Centre on April 4th 2003 sponsored by jazzonfilm.com more details about Bradford on Avon film Society go to www.boafs.org.uk

The Film Music of Spike Lee and Terence Blanchard. The Blanchard jazz ensemble with edited scenes from Spikes films was at the Barbican Centre in London on the 21&22 April 2003

the new Woody Allen film ( for the UK) 'Curse of the Jade Scorpion' feature a great sound track and an array of jazzers ( see features page)

London Film Festival showed two jazz films on the 10 & 11 November 2003
Chico Hamilton; Dancing to a Different Drummer and the World Premiere of Keeping Time; the Life, Music and Photographs of Milt Hinton.
Dancing to a Different Drummer was the directors cut of a an earlier version of the film (see A to Z docus for further details)

The Bath Film Festival showed Charles Mingus;Triumph of the Underdog (see A to Z for details) on 1st November 2002.
This event was sponsored by jazzonfilm.com and was shown at The Royal Photographic Society, Milsom Street, Bath, U.K. at 9.30pm
Ring Bath Film Festival Box Office for details 01225 401149.

The BBC showed Jazzman from the Galug. about the German trumpeter Eddies Reasoner,in early June in there Storyville series. ( see TV page or A to Z docus )

The new BBC 4 digital features a number of jazz programmes and the Performance cable channel has regular material of jazzers in action ( at present the performance channel appears to be off air) The Arts world channel also features jazz progs.

The Denver Jazz on film Festival takes place every February ( 2005 may not take place??)
Click Here for a link to their site.

 

 

 

 

 

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