Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz

Oct 1, 1997

1h 53m

★ 7.2

It must schwing!

Overview

"It must schwing!" was the motto of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, two German Jewish immigrants who in 1939 set up Blue Note Records, the jazz label that was home to such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins. Blue Note, the most successful movie ever made about jazz, is a testimony to the passion and vision of these two men and certainly swings like the propulsive sounds that made their label so famous.

Genres

Documentary

Music

Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz Trailers

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Cast

Self

Freddie Hubbard

Self

Gil Mellé

Self

Herbie Hancock

Self

Horace Silver

Self

Carlos Santana

Self

Johnny Griffin

Self

Bertrand Tavernier

Self

Ron Carter

Self

Maurice Cullaz

Self - Alfred's wife

Ruth Lion

Self - Historian

Hans Borgelt

Self

Taj Mahal

Elijah Jamal Balbed grew up in Washington DC in the midst of one of its most difficult eras, as its identity was being tested. As the city changed around him, his budding career as a musician exposed him to the people and music providing a voice and an outlet to the people of DC. Now tasked with preserving and sharing that tradition, Balbed reflects on balancing that responsibility with creating a musical identity of his own.

6.6

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7.0

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6.9

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8.0

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0.0

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0.0

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Jack DeJohnette - Drums, Herbie Hancock - Keyboards, Dave Holland - Bass, Pat Metheney - Guitars. For the first time, these four masterful musicians come together to form a jazz group most people would never expect to see happen. Taking their collaborations around the world, they toured Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United States, performing concerts and festivals to sold out audiences and rave reviews. On June 23, 1990, this extraordinary group performed two concerts at the Mellon Jazz Festival at the Philadelphia Academy of music. Both shows were filmed and have been carefully edited to create a technically flawless video of a truly "once in a lifetime" event. All of the songs were selected with great care, as might be expected from a band of this caliber.

0.0

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0.0

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0.0

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7.1

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0.0

Norman Granz’ Jazz in Montreaux presents The Clark Terry Sextet ’77

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7.7

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6.8

Sweet and Lowdown

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4.6

Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast

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0.0

Assolo

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0.0

Untitled Nat King Cole Biopic

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Legendary singer, actor, and jazz pianist Nat King Cole was prominent in the mid-1900s. Though he passed away in 1965 at only 45 years old, his songs have remained iconic in the years since, with some of his most famous songs including "Smile", "The Very Thought of You" and "Unforgettable".

6.9

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A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.

8.0

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