A colourful look at the history of jazz, using a rich weave of sounds, rare film clips, stills, and interviews to follow the people, places and sounds that have shaped the genre that has been called America’s greatest contribution to the arts over the last century.
This first and only authorised documentary about Charlie Parker is a revealing look into how the great saxophonist changed the face of jazz despite his lifelong addiction to heroin and untimely death at 34. Featuring the only interview on record with his first wife Rebecca.
Satchmo - very few people in the world would not recognise that name. Born at the turn of the century, Louis Armstrong was a living symbol of twentieth-century American culture. This definitive film features his own memorabilia and photos never before seen by the public.
The poignant story of a jazz icon who broke away from her bleak life on the streets to rise to fame with her emotional and spirited vocals. Billie Holiday is often featured as the sad victim of hard times and drugs, but mining a treasure trove of new material this documentary sets the record straight.
Documentary about the life and art of the most innovative and influential jazz saxophonist of the 1960’s. Showing that he was all that and much more, the film traces Coltrane’s musical growth from his roots through forty years of life and beyond.
A look at the life of the legendary jazz musician and composer who was famed for his quirky improvisational style and as the pianistic ringleader of the bebop revolution. A misunderstood man, often portrayed as not simple eccentric but crazy, this reveals the first fully rounded portrait of Monk.
Profile of the Grammy Award-winner whose wondrous contralto voice lit up the jazz world and went on to inspire singers of today including Amy Winehouse. Featuring live performances that span the stellar singer’s entire career
The fascinating story, told in words and music, of one of the twentieth century’s great musical figures. Never-before-seen interviews with family, friends and Ray himself reveal the heartbreak and humour of a man who overcame all odds, moving through tragedy to triumph.
No other musician was ever more completely committees to the proposition of stomping, shouting, swinging, jumping and dragging away the blues than Count Basie. From 1938 to 1984 he led one of the most enduring swing bands of all time, and today his legacy lives on. Basie alumni come together to lend us their insight.
The blues is a celebration, joyful, complex and compelling music built on self-expression and entertaining. This film travels the expansive landscape of the music, tracing its roots from the beginning of the twentieth century featuring memorable footage of some of the blues’ greatest players.