Hello my friends. I don't know about you guys but being a fan of classic films has introduced me to a lot of great vintage music. For instance I don't think I would listen to jazz music if it wasn't for great old films. When talkies came about jazz was at the height of its powers and many music fans wanted to see their favorite jazz musicians performing on screen. Because of this many true legends of jazz appeared in films. Today (and a few days in the future) I am going to share with you some great examples of jazz music in classic films.
If you had to ask me what the best jazz film ever made was, I would have to go with Jammin' the Blues (1944). While most short subjects featuring popular musicians performing, simply placed the camera in front of the performers and let them play. This film does not do that at all. Instead director Gjon Mili and cinematographer Robert Burks (who my fellow film buffs will know went on to become Alfred Hitchcock's cinematographer on many of his most famous films) create a visually unique and jaw dropping film. The music is jazz music at its finest featuring such great musicians as Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry Edison, Matthew Morris, Sidney Catlett, Joe Jones, Barney Kessel, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet and Marie Bryant. A review in The Exhibitor said "Lighting, camera work and direction by Gjon Mili are first rate."
Unusual for a short subject this film received a three page article in American Cinematographer. You can read this below. If any of the pages are hard to read you can click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.
If you had to ask me what the best jazz film ever made was, I would have to go with Jammin' the Blues (1944). While most short subjects featuring popular musicians performing, simply placed the camera in front of the performers and let them play. This film does not do that at all. Instead director Gjon Mili and cinematographer Robert Burks (who my fellow film buffs will know went on to become Alfred Hitchcock's cinematographer on many of his most famous films) create a visually unique and jaw dropping film. The music is jazz music at its finest featuring such great musicians as Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry Edison, Matthew Morris, Sidney Catlett, Joe Jones, Barney Kessel, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet and Marie Bryant. A review in The Exhibitor said "Lighting, camera work and direction by Gjon Mili are first rate."
Unusual for a short subject this film received a three page article in American Cinematographer. You can read this below. If any of the pages are hard to read you can click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Next comes a classic short subject starring the King of Hi De Ho himself, Cab Calloway. This film is called Cab Calloway's Hi De Ho (1934). The story isn't much to write home about but the music is fantastic. However I will admit I really like the ending gag.
The feature film Stormy Whether (1943) featured quite a few jazz greats in it, including the one and only Fats Waller. Here is Fats Waller performing Ain't Misbehaving in that movie.
Many vintage music fans are familiar with the Vitaphone Varieties. This was a series of short films from the late 1920's and early 1930's that featured various musicians and vaudeville acts performing in front of the camera. While few of these are cinematic masterpieces, they give us a great glimpse into a type of entertainment that is gone today. Here is a typical Vitaphone Variety, Jazzmania Quintette (1928). This film features the jazz violinist Georgie Stoll as well as Edythe Flynn.
I have not been shy about my love for the Paul Whiteman feature film, King of Jazz (1930). Here is the great Rhapsody in Blue scene in that movie.
One of the all time great film scores is for Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows (1958). The score for this movie was done by the one and only Miles Davis. Here is a scene from the movie featuring some great music by Miles.
Thanks for joining me, I will have more of these posts in the future.
-Michael J. Ruhland
