The local jazz fest is showing “Young Man With A Horn” this year. Not my idea of a great jazz movie.
What would you recommend?
Probably not what you had in mind as alternatives to a movie with a jazz theme, but both I Want to Live (the 1958 version with Susan Hayward) and Anatomy of a Murder are excellent films with outstanding jazz scores. Johnny Mandel scored the former and Gerry Mulligan’s group played; Duke Ellington scored the latter and his orchestra played it and he and some of the orchestra performed in the movie.
As for movies about jazz, two I liked are Round Midnight (but I have always liked Dexter Gordon, so take that with a grain of salt, but it did get good reviews) and more recently, the very excellent Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Both Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman.give amazing peformances and the rest of the cast is stellar, as well. Davis and Boseman were nominated for Oscars, but did not win though they both won many other awards for their roles.
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Superb Miles soundtrack, improvised and recorded in one night as the band watched the film. The film itself is a mixed bag, very good noir scenes in parts, drawn out, silly, and with continuity errors elsewhere. But if you watch it focused on the soundtrack, it’s a treat.
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A Great Day in Harlem - About the photograph
A Great Day in Harlem - About the documentary film about the taking of the photograph
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Jazz on a Summers Day
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How about Whiplash?
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Dexter Gordon in Round Midnight
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Only if you believe that a jazz drummer would be that terrible and be studying at a prestigious music school in NYC and NOT have lots of side gigs in the evenings. Otherwise not bad.
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An oldie but goodie: Lady Sings the Blues
Another take on the great Billie Holiday: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill - this one is very good and very enjoyable.
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I really liked “I Called Him Morgan” (2016). It’s probably not a candidate for “best”, though.
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I am partial to “Round Midnight”, myself. “Elevator to the Gallows”, “Anatomy of a Murder”, “Lady Sings the Blues”, “Jazz on a Summer’s Day”, “A Great Day in Harlem” – I’ve got all of those, as well, and they’re all good selections. Haven’t seen “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” yet, or “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill”,
How about “All Night Long”, a Basil Dearden version of “Othello” with Brubeck and Mingus onscreen? Patrick McGoohan as Iago, and on drums.
This one is new to me and it sounds intriguing . I will definitely have to check it out. Thanks!
The film is average French film noir. It is significant in that it was Malle’s first full length film. Oh yeah, and Jeanne Moreau all damp and despondent. But the music? Amazing spontaneous composition recorded by musicians watching scenes from the film. The loneliest trumpet sound. The recording/CD is quite well done.
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My personal favorite: Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser - Wikipedia
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Any fans of Clint Eastwood’s “Bird”?
That’s a great one @Bill_Janssen!
In addition to the aforementioned Round Midnight, I’ve always found Robert Altman’s Kansas City one that I come back to. The soundtrack is worth seeking out, too
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How about “The Glenn Miller Story” (1954) and “The Benny Goodman Story” (1955)?
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