Narrated by Phil Harris, a longtime friend of Fountain's, "Pete!" uses performance film, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and a home videos to offer an intimate portrait of Fountain, the walking, talking embodiment of his hometown. Produced and directed by by John Beyer, the film originally...
It Ain't Necessarily So captures a budding Japanese jazz singer and her biracial vocal instructor who struggle to agree on the proper way to sing Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy.” Humor is no stranger to jazz singers Eiko Katayama and Kazue Hiraoka who star alongside Masa Fox, their English...
In this second short film in the Birdland series two birds escape and fly away to the rainbow. The story is set to the sound of "Over the Rainbow" played by legendary jazz pianist Art Tatum.
The musical traditions of the eastern and western worlds are bridged through the improvisations of Bombay, India-born percussionist/vocalist Trilok Gurtu. Gurtu’s mastery of post-bop jazz has not gone unnoticed. Downbeat magazine named him “best percussionist” in three critic and popularity...
After charging through "One More Time," "Wild West," and "You Can't Get What You Want (Until You Know What You Want)" at a punishing clip, one might expect the soft-spoken Joe Jackson to shift to a lower gear. Instead, the one-time musical prodigy, pub band pioneer, and now eclectic composer...
From the sound of mountains and endless expanses, to the heavy pulse of the big city. Norwegian jazz is loved by fans all over the world. How did small Norway become a big jazz country?
In this Tribeca Film Festival selection, filmmaker Bruce Broder trains his camera on a crop of talented young jazz musicians as they play their way through the Essentially Ellington high school jazz band competition. Sponsored by the Jazz at Lincoln Center program, the prestigious contest gives the...
At the beginning of the 20th century, a new direction in music appeared in America. Although the word "jazz" came into use only in 1913, this music, distinguished by its loudness, audacity, and riot, was heard on the streets of New Orleans at least ten years earlier. Jazz possessed special rhythmic...
How do funky machismo and buddhism go together in one man? This music documentary takes you into the groove of Joseph Bowie and his Defunkt, a major innovator in the history of jazz funk.
The Woodstock Jazz Festival, Woodstock NY, 1981 was a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Creative Music Studio. With performances by Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Anthony Braxton, Lee Konitz, Miroslav Vitous,
