THE |
News and Information
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 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. March 11 2017 Five new jazz documentaries have been released in 2016. NINA SIMONE : WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE ? GREGORY PORTER: DON’T FORGET YOUR MUSIC 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. 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. 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. The Spectacle Cinema at 124 S. 3rd St. Near Bedford Ave. N,Y. USA Joe Spibey, founder of jazzonfilm.com gave an interview with Joe Dimino on KCXL Neon Jazz. It was broadcast on 11th June 2015 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 1 - Jack Teagarden - King Porter Stomp Two of the American avant-garde director Shirley Clarke’s jazz films have been released on DVD / Blu-ray. 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)
Moochin About have released a new CD in there JAZZ ON FILM series. KEEP ON KEEPIN ON
Moochin About has released in October 2014 a new 8 CD box set called Crime Jazz.. It focuses on classic TV crime series. 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. Below is part of the review by Darren Allison from Cinema Retro magazine about these box sets.. 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. 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 A new DVD documentary about the great pianist MARIAN MCPARTLAND: IN GOOD TIME is now available. MARIAN MCPARTLAND: IN GOOD TIME
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. 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. 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
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; 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. 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
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 The Bath Film Festival showed Charles
Mingus;Triumph of the Underdog (see A to Z for details) on 1st
November 2002. 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??)
|