Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1944
Jammin' the Blues
Buy Jammin' the Blues now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Jammin' the Blues' is a 1944 American short film made by Gjon Mili and Norman Granz in which a number of prominent jazz musicians re-create the jam-session atmosphere of nightclubs and after-hours spots. It features Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry Edison, Marlowe Morris, Sid Catlett, Barney Kessel, Jo Jones, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet, Marie Bryant and Archie Savage.[https://www.allmusic.com/album/jammin-the-blues-mw0000069628 AllMusic]
Cast
* Lester Young Tenor saxophone
* Red Callender Bass
* Harry "Sweets" Edison Trumpet
* Marlowe Morris Piano
* "Big" Sid Catlett Drums (First two songs, and intro of third)
* Jo Jones Drums (for final song)
* Barney Kessel Guitar
* John Simmons Double bass
* Illinois Jacquet Tenor saxophone
* Marie Bryant Vocals and Female Dancer
* Archie Savage Male Dancer
Songs
* "Midnight Symphony"
* "On the Sunny Side of the Street" Sung by Marie Bryant
* "Jammin' the Blues"
Production
Gjon Mili and Norman Granz, who was credited as technical director, shot the film over four days with the support of Warner Bros. head of short films, Gordon Hollingshead.Hershorn, Tad, Norman Granz: the Man who Used Jazz for Justice (Univ. of Calif. Press 2011), p. 66 Barney Kessel was the only white musician in the film. His hands were stained with berry juice, and he was seated in the shadows to shade his skin.Hershorn, p. 69
Reception and legacy
Producer Gordon Hollingshead was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Short Subject, One-reel.
In 1995, 'Jammin' the Blues' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The short was released on both DVDs of the film 'Blues in the Night' (1941) and 'Passage to Marseille' (1944), the latter starring Humphrey Bogart.[https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/34292/blues-in-the-night/ Blues in the Night: DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video][https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/24782/humphrey-bogart-the-signature-collection-vol-2/ Humphrey Bogart The Signature Collection, Vol.2: DVD Talk of the DVD Video]
See also
*List of American films of 1944
*Swing music
*Bebop
References
Buy Jammin' the Blues now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1944