On a summer's day in 1958, fifty seven of the era's greatest jazz musicians gathered together in Harlem, New York City. The purpose - a now legendary photograph to be taken by top snapper Art Kane. This is the fascinating story of that day and the people, many of whom had never really met before, involved, with home-movie camera clips, some great musical interludes and interviews with many of the participants 35 years on. Narrated by Quincy Jones.
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CADILLAC RECORDS (2009)
Certification15 Our Rating
This dramatic history of Chicago's Chess Records has a superb soundtrack(though it consists almost entirely of covers) and its insights into the relationship between white money making businessmen and poor black talent back in the stifling '50s more than makes up for its overwrought melodrama, historic inaccuracies and poor script.
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HONEYDRIPPER (2007)
CertificationPG Our Rating
1950, rural Alabama; times are hard for 'The Honeydripper' a club where traditional blues music doesn't pull the crowds, the young cotton pickers and army boys prefering a rival bar with its juke-box, but help may arrive in the help of handsome young Sonny, his electric guitar and rock'n'roll. A lovely piece of independent cinema from the maestro John Sayles; a movie about myth, about family, about change and, above all, about music.
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RAY (2004)
Certification15 Our Rating
A mesmerising dramatisation of one of the kings, Ray Charles. Unsurprisingly the soundtrack is pure bliss, but it is Jamie Foxx in the title role that pulls everything together, an hypnotic performance of a music legend, through all his highs and lows, and one of those increasingly rare examples of a leading actor Oscar that actually makes sense.
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