1. Lost in NOLA (Trovare una Storia)
A young student filmmaker in an attempt to shoot a documentary gets lost in New Orleans. Out of fear of making a mistake, he ends up making hundreds of mistakes.
2. More Than Jazz
A tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, with Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Etta James, Marvin Gaye, David Bowie, and many more geniuses on tape; a cool Quincy Jones and a laughing Herbie Hancock; sweaty musicians, crazy audiences, and some very rare files.
3. Lambert & Co.
Jazz vocalist Dave Lambert auditions a new group of singers at RCA Studios in 1964.
It has an average vote of 1 on TMDB.
4. Sunshine in Soho
1950s Soho beats with far more energy than its 21st century counterpart in this vivid time capsule.
5. Daybreak Express
Set to a classic Duke Ellington recording "Daybreak Express", this is a five-minute short of the soon-to-be-demolished Third Avenue elevated subway station in New York City.
It has an average vote of 7.284 on TMDB.
6. Show Girls
Show Girls celebrates Montreal's swinging Black jazz scene from the 1920s to the 1960s, when the city was wide open. Three women who danced in the legendary Black clubs of the day - Rockhead's Paradise, The Terminal, Café St. Michel - share their unforgettable memories of life at the centre of one of the world's hottest jazz spots. From the Roaring Twenties, through the Second World War and on into the golden era of clubs in the fifties and sixities, Show Girls chronicles the lives of Bernice, Tina and Olga - mixing their memories with rarely seen footage of the era.
7. Cold Trumpet (Tromba fredda)
Chet Baker silently wanders through an Antonioniesque landscape in a Felliniesque state of wonderment as his improvised trumpet solos alternate between earnestly offering the obvious and mocking the artiness of the whole affair.
8. Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool
A musical documentary accompaniment to the 1994 benefit compilation album concerning AIDS in the African-American community.
9. What Difference Does It Make?
A documentary that explores the challenges that a life in music can bring.
It has an average vote of 5.1 on TMDB.
10. A Night In Havana: Dizzy Gillespie In Cuba
A documentary on Dizzy Gillespie's landmark visit to Cuba and his performance at the Fifth International Jazz Festival in Havana, Cuba. Filmed in 1985 with Arturo Sandoval and Sayyd Abdul Al Khabyyr.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
11. Inside Out In the Open
Inside Out In The Open is an hour-long documentary about a form of jazz, popularly known as free jazz. The film is an exploration of that music through the voices and performances of over twenty such musicians, from those who were its first generation to younger musicians joining the tradition.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
12. Cecil Taylor: All The Notes
Cecil Taylor was the grand master of free jazz piano. "All the Notes" captures in breezy fashion the unconventional stance of this media-shy modern musical genius, regarded as one of the true giants of post-war music. Seated at his beloved and battered piano in his Brooklyn brownstone the maestro holds court with frequent stentorian pronouncements on life, art and music.
13. Witchcraft Through the Ages
A seventy-six-minute version of Häxan, re-edited and re-released in the United States by Metro Pictures Corporation in 1968. It is narrated by author William S. Burroughs, with a jazz score and soundtrack featuring violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.
It has an average vote of 7.2 on TMDB.
14. Billie Holiday: A Sensation
A documentary about the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday . There exist many myths and legends about the Jazz Singer Billie Holiday — one of the greatest voices of the last century. Most of them tell the story of the tragic victim of drugs, alcohol, men, color, or the circumstances of her upbringing. To some extent she contributed herself to these legends, especially in her autobiography "Lady Sings the Blues". In recent years, more and more records and reports have shown a different picture of her. These statements of confidants, colleagues and friends clean up with many of the legends and show a strong personality who has been anything but a pitiable victim. Billie Holiday was a strong-willed and determined person and a very complex personality who did not correspond to the classic victim type.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
15. Bill Laswell - World Beat Sound System: Live at Soundstage
Throughout three decades, Bill Laswell has been a constant innovator, fusing seemingly disparate genres into a whole new sound. Touching upon everything from worldbeat, funk, rock, hip-hop and jazz, there are no limits to his experimental approach. Among his many talents is his ability to bring together well-matched singers and players to create a distinct style that defies easy classification. His Soundstage episode embodies his unique approach, transcending any genre boundaries and delivering an engaging performance. From the World Beat of Tabla Beat Science, to the jazzy flavors of Pharoah Sanders backed by Material, it’s an exciting mix. Other surprises include a rocking Buckethead set that includes a little breakdancing and songs by Praxis. The show culminates with an all-star performance, funked up by Bootsy Collins.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
16. Underbart är kort - en film om Monica Zetterlund (Underbart är kort - en film om Monica Zetterlund)
A portrait of Swedish jazz singer Monica Zetterlund.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
17. Black Journal: 26; Alice Coltrane
Short documentary made for a segment of National Education Television's Black Journal television program. The segment focuses on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz magician John Coltrane. This film was shot sometime during 1970; three years after the death of John Coltrane.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
18. The Case of the Three Sided Dream
The documentary film on the life and legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a one of a kind musician, personality, activist and windmill slayer who despite being blind, becoming paralyzed, and facing America’s racial injustices - did not relent.
It has an average vote of 6.8 on TMDB.
19. Dance Crazy in Hollywood
American dancer and choreographer Hermes Pan recalls his life and work as he relives the glorious history of the Hollywood musical.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
20. Sparni
It’s the second semester of junior year for Pierce “Sparni” Sparnroft, a gifted jazz vibraphonist studying at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Sparni’s prospects on the vibes were rejuvenated by their new professor, the world-renowned Steve Nelson, and are to be showcased during a student-driven recital in May 2023. But all the while, Sparni must face a crisis within.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
