Jam Session (1942) User Reviews

Music and Black History

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 17 May 2016]

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.

Spreading The Jam

[boblipton · 7/10 · 22 September 2022]

Duke Ellington and his band play the title song at a Harlem restaurant while men and women enter the locale.

It's one of more than two thousand "soundies" produced between 1939 and 1947, meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram. For seven years they could be found in bars, night clubs, and other places where people would gather. Think of them as music videos, available for viewing at a dime a song.

By the time this came out, it was considered worthwhile to identify all the members of the band with a big subtitle to tell you who was playing. Some, like Ben Webster, are still well known, but they all are worth knowing.

This is one of the most popular soundies online with more than two and a half million views. If you want to see for yourself -- and hear! -- check under the title "C Jam Blues"