Play Your Own Thing: A Story of Jazz in Europe

Norman Granz’ Jazz in Montreaux presents Ella and Basie '79—"The Perfect Match"(en)

The two musical masters swing out.

All You Can Eat(en)

All You Can Eat is a brief yet captivating short film that highlights the hungry moments shared between Brylee and his partner as they enjoy a sushi date together at Trapper's Sushi.

Daybreak Express(en)

Set to a classic Duke Ellington recording "Daybreak Express", this is a five-minute short of the soon-to-be-demolished Third Avenue elevated subway station in New York City.

Ray(en)

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

Resilience: The Story of Ryan Porter(en)

A short documentary on jazz trombonist, Ryan Porter.

Jazz Icons: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Live In '58(en)

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers features what many consider to be one of the fi nest line-ups in the history of jazz—Bobby Timmons (Piano), Jymie Merritt (Bass), Benny Golson (Sax) and the legendary trumpet player, Lee Morgan. Lost for nearly 50 years, this historic 55 minute concert, fi lmed in Belgium in 1958, one month to the day after they recorded their masterpiece Moanin,’ is the only known visual document of this infl uential band who were together for only six months.

Assolo(it)

Danny 'Sweet Touch' Caputo is a young sax player on the verge of crowning his life's dream, to play in the festival that will send him to the top amongst the jazz greats. With just 50 minutes standing between him and his consecration, as he runs over his last simple question more to pass time than anything else. Danny tries to answer, but instead finds himself projected into another world, one populated by the sensual and very real ghosts of his past...

Käseburg(de)

The Blues Brothers(en)

Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home where he and his brother Elwood were raised.

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

Clark Terry has been described as 'possessor of the happiest sound in jazz'. A veteran of Duke Ellington's orchestra, he began to perform as a soloist in the sixties and established a reputation as one of the great teachers of jazz music, which continues to the present day. In this performance from 1977, he is joined by an all star band including Oscar Peterson, Ronnie Scott, Niels Pedersen, Joe Pass, Bobby Durnham and Milt Jackson.

'Round Midnight(en)

Inside the Blue Note nightclub one night in 1959 Paris, an aged, ailing jazzman coaxes an eloquent wail from his tenor sax. Outside, a young Parisian too broke to buy a glass of wine strains to hear those notes. Soon they will form a friendship that sparks a final burst of genius.

Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast(en)

In the late 1990s, iconic photographer Bruce Weber barely managed to convince legendary actor Robert Mitchum (1917-97) to let himself be filmed simply hanging out with friends, telling anecdotes from his life and recording jazz standards.

New York, New York(en)

An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.

Space Is the Place(en)

Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Arkestra return to Earth after several years in space. Ra proclaims himself "the alter-destiny", meets with inner-city youths and battles with the devil himself to save the black race.

Taking a Chance on Love: Jane Monheit in Concert(en)

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Jane Monheit -- an artist whose voice is often compared to that of Diana Krall and Ella Fitzgerald -- delivers a heartfelt set in this memorable 2004 performance filmed live at the Brecon International Jazz Festival in Wales. The evening's mix of standards includes "In the Still of the Night," "Embraceable You," "Bill," "Too Late Now," "Honeysuckle Rose" and "I Should Care."

Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way(en)

A chronological look at the life and career of jazz musician, composer, and performer Dave Brubeck (1920-2012 ), presented through contemporary interviews, archival footage of interviews and performances, and commentary by family, fellow musicians, and aficionados. Emphases include his mother's influence, his wife's invention of college tours, his skill as an accompanist, the great quartet (with Desmond, Morello, and Wright), his ability to find musical ideas everywhere, his orchestral compositions, his religious conversion, and his unflagging sweet nature.

Nina: A Historical Perspective(en)

This Emmy-nominated TV special highlights rare performance footage filmed between 1968 and 1969 at various US venues and locations, including the Westbury Music Fair, The Village Gate, and RCA Studios in New York City. Also featured are candid and personal interviews with Nina herself, revealing her unique views on music and life -- all expressed with her trademark intensity.

Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime(en)

Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.

Dan Bárta & Illustratosphere – Zvířený prach tour 2022(cs)

The unmistakable voice of the eleven-time Anděl Award winner, first-class musicians, and songs that flow across musical genres in a concert experience from Brno's Sono Music Club... The concert, recorded on November 28, 2022, at the SONO Music Club in Brno, is the culmination of Dan Bárta & Illustratosphere's concert tour for their joint fifth studio album, Kráska a zvířený prach (Beauty and Stirred Dust). This mutually inspiring and authentically creative community of musicians included not only new songs in the program, but also a selection of some older atmospheric hits from their more than twenty-year musical career. Enjoy Bárta's refined vocal performance and a fusion of virtuosically played original compositions on the domestic scene, combining pop rock, jazz, soul, and funk with intimate poetry in the lyrics, just like hundreds of fans in one of the most acoustically perfect halls in the country.

Jimmy McGary: The Best Jazz You Never Heard(en)

Tenor saxophonist Jimmy McGary was a major presence in the Cincinnati music scene from the 1950s until his death in the early ’90s. With music rooted in Bebop with a progressive slant, the Jazz legend was a session player for King Records and released his first album as a bandleader — The First Time (with a quartet that included pianist Pat Kelly) — in 1979. McGary’s spirit and legacy have lived on well after his passing and well beyond Cincinnati, as evidenced in this new documentary film.