Thursday, April 17, 2014

Jammin' the Blues (1944) and Blues for Joan Miro (1966)


   JAZZ PROJECTOR
                                                                            
                           DOWNSTAIRS @ THE VORTEX JAZZ CLUB
                        
                                                28/MON/4/14 20:00 - 2:00am
                                                                                                                                         
                                             Entry: FREE

Jazz Projector is a night of jazz related films hosted by Dr Nicolas Pillai (University of Warwick). Since most of these legendary musicians are dead it is perhaps the closest we can come to experiencing them live. The two short films selected for the next Jazz Projector event are: Jammin’ the Blues (1944) Dir. Gjon Mili, and Blues for Joan Miro (1966) Producer Norman Granz. The first conjures up classic images of Lester Young and others, while the second film is part of an uncompleted Ellington film project. The evening concludes with a 1965 Jazz 625 recording of the Thelonious Monk Quartet.

Jammin' the Blues (1944)

Features a jam session with some of the most outstanding African-American
jazz musicians, including Lester Young.

There was one white musician present, Barney Kessell on guitar, who appears as a shadowy silhouette figure in a deliberate attempt to make him unidentifiable as a white man jamming in the company of black musicians.





The noir-ish ambiance is created through the dim lighting, and wisps of cigarette smoke evoking the night club. To come to think of it the chairs look the same as the ones upstairs in the Vortex Jazz Club. For 1944 the film must have seem very avant-garde with its use multiplied images and abstract treatment of instruments and their players.






 Blues for Joan Miro (1966)

In this film Duke Ellington and his Trio play for Joan Miró in the South of France. Miro takes Duke on a guided tour of his sculptures while chatting away in French.The two men couldn’t understand a word the other said, but seemed contented to show each other their work. You see Miró standing, leaning on one of his sculptures behind Duke looking on as he plays The Shepherd.


               



 Hope to see you there and check out the food while you're there...

http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/jazzprojector/



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