Jazz for the Masses
This Warner Bros. short is a jam session with several outstanding African-American jazz musicians, including Lester Young. Darkly lit and with a mood that matches the music, the film was groundbreaking in its day and was a showcase for then lesser-known musicians and entertainers who would not otherwise have had exposure to a much larger audience.
Director Gjon Mili (1904-1984) was a pioneer in the use of stroboscopic instruments to capture a sequence of actions in one photograph. Mili did not serve as cinematographer for this film, but Blues uses multiplied images that in many ways recall the multi-image still-frames done with the strobe.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in jazz or who may want to see the jazz of the time. Or, perhaps, the way the African-American community as presented. Outside of jazz performances, it was not common for them to be in movies, unless in a comic setting (often at their expense).
Director Gjon Mili (1904-1984) was a pioneer in the use of stroboscopic instruments to capture a sequence of actions in one photograph. Mili did not serve as cinematographer for this film, but Blues uses multiplied images that in many ways recall the multi-image still-frames done with the strobe.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in jazz or who may want to see the jazz of the time. Or, perhaps, the way the African-American community as presented. Outside of jazz performances, it was not common for them to be in movies, unless in a comic setting (often at their expense).
- gavin6942
- May 17, 2016