Duke Ellington and Orchestra perform 'C Jam Blues'...
Although I know very little about jazz, I know that Duke Ellington was about as big a name as there ever was in the genre. And of what I know about film, it was rare for black people to be in a movie in the 1940s unless they were a servant or comic relief. So I see this short film as being doubly important: it captured black people performing and enjoying music in the 1940s, which is not common on film. And it captured one of the all-time greatest musicians performing. Are there many jazz films? I don't know. Are there many films of Ellington? I don't know. But I feel like even in these few minutes, we really capture the essence of the music.
Although I know very little about jazz, I know that Duke Ellington was about as big a name as there ever was in the genre. And of what I know about film, it was rare for black people to be in a movie in the 1940s unless they were a servant or comic relief. So I see this short film as being doubly important: it captured black people performing and enjoying music in the 1940s, which is not common on film. And it captured one of the all-time greatest musicians performing. Are there many jazz films? I don't know. Are there many films of Ellington? I don't know. But I feel like even in these few minutes, we really capture the essence of the music.