China, Korea, Japan

South/Southeast Asia, Oceania, Pacific Islands

Dance

Anthropology/Ethnography

Various area studies videographies

Movies About Music and Musicians

Online music databases (UCB users only)

The United States: Miscellaneous American Music

Amazing Grace

Bill Moyers tells the story of this song, one of the most popular pieces of music in the English language, through the people who have sung it. He also tells the story of John Newton, once the captain of an English slave ship, who came to faith after surviving a storm at sea in the eighteenth century and wrote the lyrics which across distances of time and culture have become, when set to music, a courier of the spirit to millions of people. 1990. 88 min. Video908

American Roots Music.

Features historic and documentary footage of 20th century pioneering artists. A collaboration between the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Experience Music Project, Palm Pictures and Ginger Group Productions.

Episodes 1 & 2. Episode 1 traces the emergence of roots music in America from its European and African origins through its maturation into American music genres including spirituals, blues, country and gospel. Episode 2 explores a period in which different strands of roots music became visible and commercialized through movies, television, radio and records.

Disc. 1. Episode 1. When first unto this country. Fisk Jubilee Singers; Recorded music; The Bristol sessions; Delta blues; The Grand Ole Opry; Gospel is born (60 min.) -- Episode 2. This land was made for you and me. Cowboy music & western Swing; Lead Belly & Lomax; Woody Guthrie; Bluegrass; Honky tonk; The blues & radio (60 min.). DVD 1637

Episodes 3 & 4. Episode 3 traces the continuing emergence of American roots music through a national awareness catalyzed by the folk and blues revival. Episode 4 focuses on the reassessment of diverse ethnic musics previously excluded from American folk music, and their inclusion in a redefined "American roots music."

Disc 2. Episode 3. The times they are a-changin'. Chicago blues; B.B. King; Golden age of gospel; The Weavers; The folk revival; Newport Folk Festival -- Episode 4. All my children of the Sun. Cajun; Zydeco ; Tejano; Native American; Nakai & Mirabal; Evolution of roots. DVD 1638

Berkeley Renaissance: A Reunion Concert and Poster Expo.

Country Joe McDonald, Terry Garthwaite, Barbara Dane, Mayne Smith, Barry Melton, Dave Fredrickson, Sandy Rothman, Stan Wilson, Alice Stuart...et al. Coverage of a reunion concert of musicians held at the Berkeley Veteran's Building Auditorium on November 27, 1993. Presented by "Country" Joe McDonald and the Berkeley Historical Society; a film by Harold Adler. DVD 6179

The Bhangra Wrap.

An energetic documentary about a vibrant South Asian youth subculture that fuses hip hop, rap and Bhangra music. Based in Toronto, Canada and New York City, Bhangra is a mix of old and new, and is symbolic of universal cultural transformation for new generations. 20 min. Video/C 4180

Center for Asian American Media catalog description

Ceremonial Music of San Juan Pueblo: Butterfly and Turtle Dances.

A discussion with Cipriano Garcia (Pueblo), Peter Garcia (Pueblo) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee). Composers Cipriano and Peter Garcia discuss cultural traditions of San Juan Pueblo and demonstrate the butterfly and turtle dances. 57 min. Video/C 6206

Chants de Sable et d'Etoiles: Chants of Sand and Stars

So you think you know Jewish music? This film literally goes to the four corners of the Earth to collect performances of sounds that make up traditional Jewish music. From Belgium to Canada, from France to Israel, to the Netherlands and further...this exhaustive celebration of Yiddish songs, Klezmer music, synagogue celebrations and Jewish chant examines the role music plays in uniting and sustaining Jewish culture and faith throughout the world. Director, Nicolas Klotz. 90 min. DVD 9293; vhs Video/C 6017

Country Joe at People's Park

A film by Claire Burch. Celebrates three concerts by Country Joe McDonald. The first is a solo performance at People's Park, Berkeley. The second features a performance with his band at People's Park and the third is another performance with his band on Earth Day, this time at Provo Park. 1995. 43 min. Video/C 5522

Country Joe at People's Park

Country Joe McDonald Performance

A live performance by Country Joe McDonald held at the Berkeley Veteran's Building Auditorium on November 25, 1994. Videographer, Harold Adler. 58 min. DVD 6607

Country Joe McDonald Interview

An interview with guitarist Country Joe McDonald about his early years and the development of his musical career. Interviewer and videographer, Harold Adler. Filmed on November 21, 2006. 65 min. DVD 6608

Festival: Filmed at the Newport Folk Festival.

Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Peter, Paul and Mary, Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Odetta, Staple Singers, Mike Bloomfield, Ronnie Gilbert, Paul Butterfield, Theodore Bikel, Howlin' Wolf, "Spider" John Koerner and others. A cinematic synthesis of four Newport folk Festivals that depicts the crucial years of transition for the art of folk music 1963-1966. A film by Murray Lerner. 97 min. DVD 4877

From Shore to Shore: Irish traditional Music in New York City.

Examines both the continuity and the changes that have affected Irish traditional music since the turn of the century. Using New York City as the focus, this documentary mixes historic photographs and film footage with contemporary interviews and performances. 1993. 57 min. MUSI VCA39 (Music Library)

Hassidut

Music plays a central role in the daily life of the Hassidic community. Filmed within the Hassidic community, we are treated to beautiful Hassidic melodies as sung in prayer, at celebrations and at many other significant events in the day to day life of Hassidic Jews. 1994. 28 min. Video/C 5612

Herminia Silva: actriz e fadista

Contains musical and acting selections from performances by the popular fado singer, Herminia Silva, originally produced between 1961 and 1992. In Portuguese. 90 min. DVD 6227

The Human Hambone

Highlights the talents of a wide variety of both amateur and professional musicians and dancers throughout North America who use every part of the human body to make music. Also examines body music within an anthropological and biological framework, demonstrating how the body is filled with natural "clocks," which account for the fundamental human connection with rhythm. Performers/commentators: Sam McGrier, DC Coaliton Step Team, Radioactive, Click the Supah Latin, Artis the Spoonman; Derique McGee, Brian Williams (Birdman), Keith Terry, Sandy Silva, Bob Moses, Larry M. Schwarz, Guy Davis, Jimmy Slyde, Andrew Nemr. 2005. 47 min. DVD 5145

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

In Heaven There is No Beer?

A film by Les Blank. Shows Polish-American polka musicians and polka dancers performing at festivals, dance halls, and small beer halls in the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States. Features the music of Eddie Blazoncyck and the Versatones, the Dick Pillar Orchestra, Renata and Girls, Girls, Girls, and the Mrozinski Brothers. Dist.: Flower Films. 51 min. DVD 4970; vhs Video/C 2111

Clip 1 (for Real Player)

A Jumpin' Night in the Garden of Eden.

Shows these two klezmer bands both in performance and in the process of re-discovering this traditional music through its Yiddish, Eastern European, and early 20th Century American roots.75 min. Video/C 2179

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

JVC Smithsonian Folkways Video Anthology of Music and Dance of the Americas. Volume 1: Canada and the United States.

Contents: Canada: Francophone traditions -- Canada: Native and Anglophone traditions -- USA: African American secular traditions. 59 min. Video/C 4497

JVC Smithsonian Folkways Video Anthology of Music and Dance of the Americas. Volume 2. The United States: European Traditions in the New World.

Contents: Pop goes the weasel -- The lakes of Champlain -- Old Smokey -- John Brown's dream -- Chicken reel -- Square, hook & broom dances -- The wind that shakes the Barley (and others) -- Old grey mule -- Alabama jubilee -- Daybreak blues -- Pickin' girl -- John Henry -- Cincinnati rag -- Black waters -- Marlboro cowboy -- The Jew in Jerusalem -- Kilakila 'o Eke -- Oh Madeleine -- J'ete au bal (I went to the ball) -- Chere Bassette -- Think of me once a day -- Fandango -- Polka & conjunto -- Voy a sacarme la espina (I'm gonna take the thorn out of me) -- Soft rain -- Salsa. 59 min. Video/C 4498

JVC Smithsonian Folkways Video Anthology of Music and Dance of the Americas. Volume 3: the United States: Sacred Traditions.

Contents: African American sacred traditions: Take me to the water/Glory, glory Hallelujah; You got to move; Rock-a-way; Lay my burden down; My mother's gone; I belong to that union band; Roll Jordan roll; Precious Lord; My God called me this morning; Jesus is all the world to me; Can't nobody do me like Jesus; European & other sacred traditions: Holo mai pele mai Kahikina -- We are gathering at the river/God's not dead; Beautiful hills of Galilee; Lord, give me one more day; Mansion over a hilltop; I'm working on a building. 43 min. Video/C 4499

Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note: The Definitive Look at the Man and His Music

A definitive look at the life and career of Leonard Bernstein, world renowned composer, conductor, pianist and educator. Filled with archival footage including concert films, home movies, and clips from his Broadway hits. Includes interviews with his brother, children, collaborators and fellow conductors. 1998. 117 min. DVD 5575

Mississippi, River of Song.

Join folk-rock musician Ani DiFranco in a four part film series filmed live along the Mississippi River, highlighting the richness and vitality of American music at the close of the 20th century. 60 minutes each. 1999.

Part 1: Americans Old and New. (Mississippi, River of Song; 1.)

This first segment from Minnesota to Douds, Iowa covers the northern section of the River which is truly the contemporary American melting pot, full of acoustic music, polka, rhythm and blues, punk and alternative rock. Contents: Ojibwe powwow drum / Randy Kingbird, Mark Kingbird, Pete White -- Scandinavian fiddle group / Paul Wilson, Skal Club Spelmanslag -- Alternative rock / Soul Asylum -- Alternative rock / Babes in Toyland -- American folk / John Koerner and friends -- African-American choir / Sounds of Blackness -- Hmong traditional reed instrument / Hmong Qeej Players -- German Polka / Karl Hartwich and The Country Dutchmen --Jazz / Manny Lopez Quintet -- Mexican dance music / La Otra Mitad -- Contemporary folk / Greg Brown. Video/C 6250

Part 2: Midwestern Crossroads. This second segment from Galena, Illinois to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri is where North and South meet and the rougher, rural styles come face to face with big city sophistication. Old-time country and blues are honed and polished into bluegrass, rock n' roll and true soul music. Contents: American folk Illinois riverboat / John Hartford -- Bluegrass / Bob Lewis Family -- Marching Band / St. Charles High School Band, St. Charles, MO -- Gospel / Fontella Bass and Martha Bass -- Rhythm and blues / Oliver Sain -- Rhythm and blues / James Family -- African drum and poetry / Sunshine Group and Eugene Redmond -- Alternative country / The Bottle Rockets -- French New Year's revel / Ste. Genevieve Guignolee. Video/C 6251

Part 3: Southern Fusion. In this third segment from La Center, Kentucky to Jackson, Mississippi, the music gets louder as the river flows South. Memphis forged the sounds of rockabilly and soul. In the Mississippi Delta, music is still deeply rooted in the soil. Secular music styles come back to the blues, and gospel is at its most heartfelt and powerful. Contents: Gospel / Boundless Love Quartet -- Rockabilly / Sonny Burgess -- Music in the community: Rhyme games, drill team, stepping -- Soul / Rufus Thomas -- Soul / Memphis Horns and Ann Peebles -- Delta blues / Robert Lockwood, Jr. -- Blues / Levon Helm and James Cotton -- Blues / Jack Johnson and The Jelly Roll Kings -- Blues / Johnnie Billington -- Blues / Little Milton -- Gospel / Mississippi Mass Choir. Video/C 6252

Part 4: Louisiana, Where Music is King. This fourth segment covers music from Natchez, Mississippi to Delacroix Island in the Gulf of Mexico. In the bayous of Louisiana, country and blues come together with French styles, creating the potent dance rhythms of Cajun and zydeco. The streets of New Orleans resound with rhumba-influenced rhythm and blues and generations of jazz horns. Contents: Country / Kenny Bill Stinson -- Country / Jimmie Davis, Merle Haggard - Cajun music / D. L. Menard, Christine Balfa -- Zydeco / Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie -- New Orleans street music / David and Roselyn -- Brass band jazz / Soul Rebels -- Brass band jazz / Treme Brass Band -- Rhythm and blues / Henry Butler -- Rhythm and blues / Eddie Bo -- Rhythm and blues / Irma Thomas -- Canary Island ballads / Irvan Perez. Video/C 6253

No Direction Home

Traces Bob Dylan's journey from his roots in Minnesota, to his early days in Greenwich Village, to his tumultuous ascent to pop stardom in 1966. Joan Baez, Allan Ginzberg and others share their thoughts and feelings about the young singer who would change popular music forever. Contains never-before-seen footage, exclusive interviews, and rare concert performances. A film by Martin Scorsese. 2005. 207 min. DVD 4394

On the Street, Music & People.

The television series looks at people, places and ideas from around the world--fast-paced, entertaining, irreverent, funny and thought-provoking reports from the creative edge of the video age"--container. This segment "is about life in the streets, the rhythm, the music, and the people that make cities what they are. Contents: Downtown / by Mo Murphy -- Across from City Hall / by Carla Leshne -- Robert Byrd / by Jim Mulryan -- What Memphis needs / by Alexis Krasilovsky -- Zimbabwe homeless / by Andrew Jones -- The old balladeer / by Jim Passin -- The wastebasket / by Skip Blumberg -- Smogophobia / by Maxi Cohen -- What's that smell / by Skip Blumberg -- Times Square, 1991 / by Esti Marpet -- Third Avenue: only the strong survive / by Downtown Community TV -- Art pushes, art provokes / by Pedro Carvajal -- Overnight man / by Tom Weinberg -- Chicago musicians / by Kathie Robertson -- Project troubadour / by Stuart Leigh -- Todd Alcott / by Skip Blumberg -- Times Beach / by Bruce Lixey -- One man band / by Nancy Cain -- New York City street scenes / by Skip Blumberg. 1991. 60 min. Video/C 2206

Porgy and Bess.

Adapted for the screen by Trevor Nunn with Yves Baigneres. Cast: Willard White, Cynthia Haymon, Gregg Baker, Cynthia Clarey, Marietta Simpson, Damon Evans, Paula Ingram, Gordon Hawkins; the Glyndebourne Chorus; Craig Rutenberg, chorus master; The London Philharmonic; Simon Rattle, conductor. An adaptation of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera stage production of the Gershwins' classic musical drama Porgy and Bess, which portrays the lives of the occupants of Catfish Row. 184 min. Opera in three acts originally produced in 1993. DVD 1015

The Online Music Revolution

An industry once dominated by giant music companies has undergone a radical transformation. This program examines the explosion of legal music downloading and viral marketing, which have enabled enterprising bands and singers to distribute their own work rather than signing with major labels. Focusing on the success of Nizlopi, Arctic Monkeys, Internet marketing pioneer Simply Red, and other artists, the program also features commentary from John Kennedy, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry--who outlines the potential benefits that big corporations may one day reap from consumer downloading. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2006. 30 min. DVD 7978

The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965

Director Murrary Lerner captures Bob Dylan's metamorphosis from folk prodigy to rock's fiercely confrontational poet who would electrify and inspire an entire nation and become the voice of his generation. 83 min. DVD 8841

Radical Harmonies

"Woodstock Meets Women's Liberation in a film about a movement that explodes the gender barriers in music." A documentary on the history of the women's music movement. With festival and concert footage, interviews & archival material, the film delves into the rich history of women creating a cultural life based in a commitment to diversity, feminism and women loving women. Features foremothers of women's music (Cris, Holly, Margie, Meg and more) and today's "new women's music" artists Ani Difranco, Melissa Ferrick, Bitch and Animal and more. c2002. 88 min. DVD 2371

Presents musical performances that took place in the last years of four highly expressive and individualistic makers of traditional old time country music. The footage shows a personal, reflective side of the music, as well as some more exuberant or dance oriented pieces. There is a strong blues flavor throughout. 60 min. Video/C 5489

Song of the Sephardi.

A feature-length documentary musical film about the songs and traditions of the Spanish Jews ... with the participation of the Sephardic communities of Seattle and Jerusalem. 75 min. Video/C 2325

The Spirit Travels: Immigrant Music in America.

Surveys the musical contributions made by a variety of immigrant groups to the American culture. Celebrates how the gifts of native music, traditions and cultural expressions have enriched the cultural diversity of American music. 1992. 55 min. Video/C 2551

Stephen Foster

A biography of Stephen Foster, the first great American songwriter, whose melodies are so much a part of American history and culture that many think his songs are folk tunes. In all he composed some 200 songs and although he virtually invented popular music, Foster's personal life was tragic and contradiction-ridden. His marriage was largely unhappy, he never made much money from his work and eventually died at the age of 37 a nearly penniless alcoholic on the Bowery in New York. Segment from the television program American Experience. 56 min. Video/C 8777

Tales From Arab Detroit.

A film about music in the culture of an immigrant community (Detroit, Michigan) that takes as its point of departure the performance of the Bani Hilal epic by a story-teller from Egypt. Traditional music and dance to hip-hop to rap are featured here as the largest Arab community in North America blends the old with the new. 1995. 45 min. Video/C 5043

A Tickle in the Heart

Follows three traveling musicians, the Epstein brothers, Klezmer music legends now on a joyous international come-back tour revisiting the places of their past, including Florida, Poland, and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Shows the three brothers -- Max, Julie and Willie Epstein -- discussing their past and handling the nuts and bolts of their business: booking dates, haggling over fees, and performing at retirement homes and synagogue functions. 2003. 84 min. DVD 3166

Tom Dowd & the Language of Music

Profiles the life and work of music producer/recording engineer Tom Dowd. Historical footage, vintage photographs, interviews and appearances by musical luminaries from the worlds of jazz, soul and classic rock shine a spotlight on the brilliance of Tom Dowd, whose creative spirit and passion for innovative technology helped shape the course of modern music. A film by Mark Moormann. c2004. 90 min. DVD 5993

Ziveli: Medicine for the Heart.

A film by Les Blank. A look at the culture and music of the Serbian American communities of Chicago and California, focusing on the cultural strengths of these immigrants who helped form the backbone of industrial America. Dist.: Flower Films. 51 min. DVD 4967; vhs Video/C 3554

(Requires Real Player)

Forry, Mark E. "Ziveli: Medicine for the Heart." (movie reviews)Ethnomusicology v33, n2 (Spring-Summer, 1989):365 (3 pages).

Patterson, G. James. "Ziveli: Medicine for the Heart." (movie reviews) American Anthropologist v90, n2 (June, 1988):485 (2 pages).

American Country and Western Music / American Folk Music

American Roots Music.

Episodes 1 & 2. Episode 1 traces the emergence of roots music in America from its European and African origins through its maturation into American music genres including spirituals, blues, country and gospel. Episode 2 explores a period in which different strands of roots music became visible and commercialized through movies, television, radio and records.

Disc. 1. Episode 1. When first unto this country. Fisk Jubilee Singers; Recorded music; The Bristol sessions; Delta blues; The Grand Ole Opry; Gospel is born (60 min.) -- Episode 2. This land was made for you and me. Cowboy music & western Swing; Lead Belly & Lomax; Woody Guthrie; Bluegrass; Honky tonk; The blues & radio (60 min.). DVD 1637

America's Music: The Roots of Country.

Narrator: Kris Krist7fferson. c1996. 47-48 min. each.

America's Music: The Roots of Country. The Birth of a Sound. From the hardscrabble fields and coal mines of Appalachia comes a sound that speaks to ordinary folks. A sound heard on porches and hoedowns. This film tells the story of country music's struggle to find a commercial appeal. Examines the contributions of early western singers such as Roy Acuff, Dave Macon, George Hay, Jimmie Rodgers, Marty Robbins, Freddy Fender and musical groups such as the Carter Family and the Sons of the Pioneers. It also looks at the beginnings of The Grand Ole Opry in the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the advent of country western music on radio. Commentary: Dolly Parton, Eddy Arnold, Marty Stuart, Gail Davies, John Hartford, Johnny Cash, June Cash Carter, Chet Atkins, Boxcar Willie, Sam Phillips, Lee Roy Parnell, Riders in the Sky, Billy Walker, Faron Young, Suzy Bogguss. Video/C 7060 (1st program of 2 on tape)

America's Music: The Roots of Country. Singing Cowboys and Western Swing. Movies and radio accelerated the trend of country music as white-hatted cowboy heroes swapped their guns for guitars and sung their way into movie-goer's hearts. The popularization of the cowboy entertainer began with the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show and progressed through the careers of Will Rogers, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, Heb Jeffries, Bob Wills and Pasty Montana. Singing cowboys as motion picture heroes, the advent of Western swing music during the big band era, the development of early radio and television country musical variety shows and the elaborate costumes of current day television singers are all presented here. Commentary: Lynn Anderson, Boxer Black, Waddie Mitchell, Snuff Garrett, Dale Evans, Texas Playboys, Keith Toby, Statler Brothers, Lee Roy Parnell, Riders in the Sky, Billy Walker, Faron Young. Video/C 7060 (2nd program of 2 on tape)

America's Music: The Roots of Country. Honky Tonk Kings and Queens. World War II brought Americans overseas -- and brought Southern boys into the army where they took their music with them. This film looks at country music as it began to emerge as a nation force during WWII. It includes biographies of country music founding performers such as Minnie Pearl, Red Foley, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and George Jones. Commentary: Ray Benson, Hank Williams, Jr., Jerry Rivers, Alan Jackson, Margaret Vaughn, Johnny Wright, Eddy Arnold, Marty Stuart, Loretta Lynn, EmmyLou Harris, Merle Haggard, Hank Thompson, Little Jimmy Dickens, John Anderson. Video/C 7061 (1st program of 2 on tape)

America's Music: The Roots of Country. The Nashville Sound. The post World War II boom contines as country music finds a home -- and a temple -- in Nashville. Mainstream folk and rock artists come to explore this unique form termed "The Nashville sound," with performances in the Ryman Auditorium. Highlights performances and biographies of country singers of the 1950's and 60's including Chet Atkins, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins and looks at the coming of age of female country singers like Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton. Commentary: Joe Talbot, Eddy Arnold, Ronnie Milsap, Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, Jimmy Dean, Charlie Dick, Gail Davies, June Carter Cash, Bill Carlisle. Video/C 7061 (2nd program of 2 on tape)

America's Music: The Roots of Country. Folk Revival. As rock and roll sweeps the country, country musicians and songwriters, searching for a softer sound, turn increasingly to the roots of country music centered in American folk songs. Out of this search emerges the discovery of regional country music such as Appalachian, Bluegrass and Cajun music. This film presents the careers of Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Carter Family, The Kingston Trio, The Stoneman Family, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and other country entertainers of the 1960's. Commentary: Merle Haggard, Jean Ritchie, Peter Rowan, Marty Stuart, June Carter Cash, Kathy Mattea, Emmylou Harris, Pat Alger. Video/C 7062 (1st program of 2 on tape)

America's Music: The Roots of Country. From Rockabilly to Rockin' the Country. Investigates the interrelations between the three types of authentic American music: Country, gospel and blues and examines the legacy of country music to other music forms. Looks at how gospel music in particular undergirded all country music which in turn produced singers like Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Charlie Daniels, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash. Jerry Lee Lewis introduced Rockabilly music, followed by other country rock musicians, and more recent contemporary crossover country sounds as exemplified by the Byrds, Emmylou Harris, and Brooks & Dunn. Commentary: Charley Pride, Brenda Lee, Ray Charles, Sam Phillips, Chet Atkins, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Jeff Hanna, John Lomax III. Video/C 7062 (2nd program of 2 on tape)

Ballad of a Mountain Man: The Story of Bascom Lamar Lunsford.(The American Experience)

Story of North Carolinian Bascom Lamar Lunsford's work in collecting and preserving the songs, dances and customs of Appalachia. 58 min. Video/C 1541

The Carter Family: Will the Circle be Unbroken

Documentary on the public and private live of the Carter family whose music captured the attention of a nation entering the darkest days of the depression with such songs as "Keep on the sunnyside." Behind the simple, memorable songs their own private lives were more complicated. By drawing upon rarely seen photographs, memorabilia and archival footage, tells the bittersweet story of these influential pioneers whose songs and style laid the foundations for American folk, country and bluegrass music. Special features: The Carter scratch and Mother Maybelle's guitar ; The guitar in American music ; The Carter Family Fold : a wholesome family experience. Originally produced for the television program American experience, 2005. 60 min. DVD 5561

Gates, Anita "Their Music Tells It All, On Poverty and Heartbreak." (The Arts/Cultural Desk)(TELEVISION REVIEW). The New York Times (May 9, 2005): pE8(L). (732 words)

Chase the Devil: Religious Music of the Appalachian Mountains.

Religious music in the Southern Appalachians covers a wide panorama. At one extreme, is the idea that any music is the "devil's work," at the other is hard driving, rhythmic music. Focuses on the Holiness church experience depicting the exhuberant preaching and singing. 50 min. Video/C 3263

High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music.

Evolution of the bluegrass style under gospel and country music influences as typified by the career of mandolin artist Bill Monroe. Performers: Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys, Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Flatt & Scruggs, Osborne Brothers, Seldom Scene, Sam Bush, Alison Krauss, Nashville Bluegrass Band and other bluegrass performers. 1994. 95 min. Video/C 3587

It Ain't City Music.

Presents a look at the meaning of country music to rural America. Filmed at the National Country Music Contest, Lake Whipoorwhill, Warrenton, Virginia. Dist.: Tom Davenport Films. 15 min. Video/C 2174

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

No Direction Home

Traces Bob Dylan's journey from his roots in Minnesota, to his early days in Greenwich Village, to his tumultuous ascent to pop stardom in 1966. Joan Baez, Allan Ginzberg and others share their thoughts and feelings about the young singer who would change popular music forever. Contains never-before-seen footage, exclusive interviews, and rare concert performances. A film by Martin Scorsese. 2005. 207 min. DVD 4394

Shady Grove: Old Time Music from North Carolina, Kentucky & Virginia.

Contents: Kilby Snow: Troubles; Cindy; Shady Grove; Raggedy Ann; Chicken Reel; Two Timing Blues; You are My Flower -- Dock Boggs: Country Blues; Pretty Polly; I Hope I Live a Few More Days -- Tommy Jarrell: Bonaparte's Retreat; Cumberland Gap; Boll Weevil; Jimmy Sutton; Forked Deer; Sail Away Ladies; Cripple Creek; Breakin' Up Christmas; John Brown's Dream -- Roscoe Holcomb: Black-Eyed Susie; Pretty Polly; Old Smokey. /p>

Sprout Wings and Fly.

A film by Les Blank. Profiles old-time fiddler Tommy Jarrell, his music, friends, and family in rural North Carolina. Dist.: Flower Films. 30 min. DVD 4969; vhs Video/C 1828

Clip 1 (for Real Player)

Clip 2 (for Real Player)

Talking Feet.

Documentary filmed in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina featuring flatfoot, buck, hoedown and rural tap dancing, the styles of solo Southern dancing which are companions to oldtime music and on which modern clog dancing is based. Produced by Mike Seeger with Ruth Pershing. Dist.: Flower Films. 90 min. Video/C 3562

This Land is Your Land: A Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie

Performer: Country Joe McDonald. In this Northern California premiere, County Joe sings thirteen of Guthrie's best beloved and most moving songs. In the show, McDonald also artfully relates some anecdotes including stories from Woody's life in Oklahama and on the road correspondence between Woody and Bay Area folk icon Malvina Reynolds. Partial contents: Oklahoma Hills -- Talking dust bowl -- Roll on Columbia -- Union Maid -- So long it's been good to know ya -- This land is your land. Videographer: Harold Adler. 2007. DVD 7114

Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early Rural & Popular American Music, 1928-1935.

In the early days of sound films, in addition to covering major events, newsreel cameras captured the sights and sounds of everyday life in America, including its music. Musicians were filmed by roving newsreel crews on street corners and front porches, at country dances and summer resorts, in nightclubs, and broadcasting from churches and radio stations. This previously unreleased footage is now assembled in this film.

Contents: 1. Waiting for a train; Daddy and home; Blue yodel / Jimmie Rodgers in The singing breakman, 1929 -- 2. Foldin' bed / Whistler's Jug Band, Louisville, KY, 1930 -- 3. Happy am I / Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux & Congregation, Washington, DC, 1935 -- 4. Doggett's gap / Bascom Lamar Lunceford Band, Ashville, NC, 1928 -- 5. Home on the range / Jules Allen, Raton, NM, 1930 -- 6. Little old log cabin in the lane / Uncle John Scruggs, Powhatan County, VA, 1928 -- 7. Tiger rag (4 takes) / Jack Johnson's Jazz Band, New York, NY, 1929 -- 8. Waggoner / Fiddle and guitar player at square dance, Raton, NM, 1930 -- 9. Poor little Benny / Bela Lam & Family, Greene County, VA, 1930 -- 10. Goofus / Cumberland Ridge Runners, Shriners Hospital, Chicago, IL, 1935 -- 11. Tomorrow; My Ohio home / Eddie Thomas & Carl Scott, Richmond, VA, 1928 -- 12. Wake up Susan; Liberty / Bob Will's Texas Playboys, Hollywood, CA, 1951 -- Contents: 13. Mary don't you weep / Georgia Feild Hands Sing Spiritual with banjo accompaniment, Agusta, GA, 1929 -- 14. Soldier's joy / Bun Wright's Fiddle Band, Warm Springs, GA, 1933 -- 15. Cheer up / Ted Ween's Orchestra; with Norma Schutt's chorus girls, Steel Pier, Atlantic City, NJ, 1930 -- 16. Short subject film containing stage show / Otto Gray's Oklahoma Cowboys, New York, NY, 1929 -- 17. El fiel enamorado = The faithful lover (2 takes) / Estudiantina Invencibal, Havana, Cuba, 1929 -- 18. Miss McLeod's reel / Fiddle band playing for dance, Speculator, NY, 1929 -- 19. Ida / Duke Davis Banjo Band, Boston, MA, 1929 -- 20. Mighty lak'a rose; Dream kisses / Lemire Twins, Rochester, NH, 1928 -- 21. Turkey in the straw / Musicians at Old Time Fiddler's Convention, Star, NC, 1932 -- 22. Sing you sinners (2 takes) / Frank Westphal's Orchestra, Chicago, IL, 1930. 1992. 70 min. Video/C 3205

Traditional Music Classics: With Doc Watson, Roscoe Holcomb, Buell Kazee and Kilby Snow.

Contents: Maggie Walker Blues -- Traveling Man -- Lee Highway Blues -- St. James Hospital / Doc Watson -- Free Little Bird -- Fair Miss in the Garden -- Graveyard Blues / Roscoe Holcomb -- The Orphan Girl -- John Hardy / Buell Kazee -- But Right -- Greenback Dollar -- Pretty Polly -- What a Friend We Have in Jesus / Kilby Snow. 70 min. Video/C 5512

Woody Guthrie: Ain't Got No Home

This film explores the creative genius of Woody Guthrie, America's greatest folk singer -- his life and music as well as lesser known talents like writing and painting. He wrote, sang and painted about everything, from labor to laundry to love. Guthrie's work influenced the folk revival of the '50s and '60s, and his legacy continues to inspire musicians and activists today. Director/writer, Peter Frumkin. Originally broadcast in 2006 on the television program 'American Masters'. 2007. 90 min. DVD 9524

Cajun and Creole Music

Always for Pleasure.

A film by Les Blank. Part 1 captures the music, food, and street celebrations that typify New Orleans. Part 2 focuses on the annual revival of Black Indian social and cultural traditions, featuring Wild Tchoupitoulas and other Black Indian tribes as they prepare for and celebrate Mardi Gras. Dist.: Flower Films. 58 min. Video/C 1830

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American Roots Music.

Features historic and documentary footage of 20th century pioneering artists. A collaboration between the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Experience Music Project, Palm Pictures and Ginger Group Productions.

Episodes 3 & 4. Episode 3 traces the continuing emergence of American roots music through a national awareness catalyzed by the folk and blues revival. Episode 4 focuses on the reassessment of diverse ethnic musics previously excluded from American folk music, and their inclusion in a redefined "American roots music."

Disc 2. Episode 3. The times they are a-changin'. Chicago blues; B.B. King; Golden age of gospel; The Weavers; The folk revival; Newport Folk Festival -- Episode 4. All my children of the Sun. Cajun; Zydeco ; Tejano; Native American; Nakai & Mirabal; Evolution of roots. DVD 1638

Clifton Chenier: The King of Zydeco.

Executive director and producer, Chris Strachwitz. Contents: Party down -- I'm a hog for you -- I'm the Zydeco man -- Its Christmas time -- Let the good times roll -- Caledonia -- J'aime pain de mais -- Tu le ton son ton -- Cher catin -- Calinda -- Clifron's Zydeco -- Louisiana two step -- Black gal.

Chenier is the undisputed master of Zydeco, a folk-blues music which is played and sung by French-speaking blacks in Southern Louisiana and Southern Texas. In this film both aspects of his life are shown, the public and the private. 1987. 55 min. Video/C 3556

Dreadful Memories: The Life of Sarah Ogan Gunning, 1910-1983.

Reminiscences by fellow musicians, friends and relatives of the events in this folk singer's life. Sarah performs some of her own songs which protest the working conditions of Kentucky coal miners and became a rallying point for the establishment of trade-unions for the coal miners. 39 min. Video/C 3847

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

Dry Wood.

A film by Les Blank. Documents the music and customs of French-speaking Blacks in southwest Louisiana. Focuses on two families in a rice farming community, capturing their humble, open lives through their older, rural style of Cajun music. With some captions. Dist.: Flower Films. 37 min. DVD 4979; Video/C 1306

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Hot Pepper.

A film by Les Blank. Documents the life and music of Black zydeco-blues accordionist Clifton Chenier. Captures the sources of his music in the lives and culture of southwest Louisiana's urban and rural French-speaking Blacks. With some captions. Dist.: Flower Films. 54 min. DVD 4981; vhs Video/C 1305

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J'ai Ete au Bal (I Went to the Dance).

A film by Les Blank. Looks at the Cajun-zydeco countryside, its people and their dance halls blended with wonderful performances of the music and the recollections of its musicians. Features historical sequences about Joe Falcon, Amede Ardoin, Iry LeJeune, Harry Choates and others. Dist.: Flower Films. 84 min. DVD 3455; also VHS Video/C 1829

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ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Brassieur, C. Ray. "J'ai Ete au Bal (I Went to the Dance): The Cajun and Zydeco Music of Louisiana." (movie reviews) Ethnomusicology v37, n1 (Wntr, 1993):149 (3 pages).

Lindahl, Carl. "J'ai Ete au Bal (I Went to the Dance): The Cajun and Zydeco Music of Louisiana." (movie reviews) Journal of American Folklore v106, n422 (Fall, 1993):484 (58 pages).

Whitehead, Kevin. "J'ai Ete au Bal." (video recording reviews) Down Beat v58, n4 (April, 1991):61.

The Katrina Experience. Disc 3, New Orleans Music in Exile

Like their neighbors, the legendary New Orleans music community was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Music documentarian Robert Mugge creates an emotional portrait of horror, heartbreak, and hope as the musicians who lived through the disaster pick up the pieces and try to rebuild their lives. New Orleans artists comment on how broken levees, flood, looting, and black mold wreaked havoc on music and life in this colorful city. Directed by Robert Mugge. 2006. 112 min. DVD 6050

Mississippi, River of Song.

Join folk-rock musician Ani DiFranco in a four part film series filmed live along the Mississippi River, highlighting the richness and vitality of American music at the close of the 20th century. 60 minutes each. 1999.

Part 4: Louisiana, Where Music is King. This fourth segment covers music from Natchez, Mississippi to Delacroix Island in the Gulf of Mexico. In the bayous of Louisiana, country and blues come together with French styles, creating the potent dance rhythms of Cajun and zydeco. The streets of New Orleans resound with rhumba-influenced rhythm and blues and generations of jazz horns. Contents: Country / Kenny Bill Stinson -- Country / Jimmie Davis, Merle Haggard - Cajun music / D. L. Menard, Christine Balfa -- Zydeco / Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie -- New Orleans street music / David and Roselyn -- Brass band jazz / Soul Rebels -- Brass band jazz / Treme Brass Band -- Rhythm and blues / Henry Butler -- Rhythm and blues / Eddie Bo -- Rhythm and blues / Irma Thomas -- Canary Island ballads / Irvan Perez. Video/C 6253

Spend It All.

A film by Les Blank. Presents the history, dances, leisure, people, and places of Louisiana's Cajun country. Captures the bravado and vitality of the Cajun people in various social and cultural activities, along with the music of the Balfa Brothers, Marc Avoy, Nathan Abshire, and others. Dist.: Flower Films. 41 min. Video/C 1302

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Tipperary and All That Jazz.(World War I series)

Newsreel footage of soldiers and entertainers singing American and French World War I songs to boost the morale of the troops. "Tin Pan Alley goes to war with a whole host of tunes." Features music by George M. Cohan, Erving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and others. A CBS News production; producers, John Sharnik, Isaac Kleinerman; written by John Sharnik. Originally produced by CBS Television in 1964-1965. 25 min. DVD 9218

Zarico.

Zarico, the folk music of Black Creole culture of southwestern Louisiana, has evolved into one of the most original forms of American music today. The Creole population, a blending of peoples from Africa, the Caribbean, and Acadia, developed their style of music through an intermingling of these musical influences. As the population moved during the Depression and World War II, the melodies and rhythms of the music influenced jazz, the blues, and rock. 1994. 58 min. MUSI VCA37 (Music Library)

Zydeco: Creole Music and Culture in Rural Louisiana.

Combines cinema verite style footage, interviews, and musical performance to present a colorful, joyful portrait of the Zydeco musicians and their culture. 57 min. Video/C 3545

Sound Recordings

The Almanac Singers: Their Complete General Recordings. [SOUND RECORDING]

Woody Guthrie, guitar, harmonica, vocal; Pete Hawes, vocal, possibly guitar; Lee Hays, vocal; Millard Lampell, vocal; Pete Seeger as Pete Bowers, banjo, recorder, vocal. Contents: Blow ye winds, heigh ho -- Away, Rio -- Blow the man down -- House of the Rising Sun -- Ground hog -- State of Arkansas -- The weaver's song -- I ride an Old Paint -- Hard, ain't it hard -- The dodger song -- Greenland fishing -- The golden vanity -- The coast of high Barbary -- Haul away, Joe. Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York City, July 7, 1941. Sound/D 70

American Industrial Ballads (Pete Seeger)[SOUND RECORDING]

Contents: Peg and awl -- The blind fiddler -- The buffalo skinners -- Eight-hour day -- Hard times in the mill -- Roll down the line -- Hayseed like me -- The farmer is the man -- Come all you hardy miners -- He lies in the American land -- Casey Jones -- Let them wear their watches fine -- Cotton mill colic -- Seven cent cotton and forty cent meat -- Mill mother's lament -- Fare ye well, old Ely Branch -- Beans, bacon, and gravy -- The death of Harry Simms -- Winnsboro Cotton Mill blues -- Ballad of Barney Graham -- My children are seven in number -- Raggedy -- Pittsburgh Town -- Sixty per cent. Sound/D 69

The Best of Broadside 1962-1988: Anthems of the American Underground from the Pages of Broadside Magazine[SOUND RECORDING]

Performers: Phil Ochs, Peter La Farge, The Broadside Singers, Pete Seeger, Mark Spoelstra, Jim Page, Malvina Reynolds, Tom Paxton, Bob Dylan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, The Freedom Singers, Janis Ian, Len Chandler, El Teatro Campesino, Paul Kaplan, Wes Houston, The New World Singers, Rev. F. D. Kirkpatrick, Jim Collier, Sammy Walker, Peggy Seeger.

Broadside was a small underground magazine filled with new songs by artists too radical for the establishment. These songs tell stories rooted in American history from 1962 through 1988 addressing such issues as warfare, nuclear threat, ethnic conflicts, immigrants' sufferings, unequal treatment of women, ecological devastation and social injustice. This extensively annotated 5 CD set includes 89 songs, some never commercially released, extensive notes, graphics from the original Broadside magazine and more. SOUND/D 88

Don't Mourn, Organize!: Songs of Labor (Joe Hill)[SOUND RECORDING]

Contents: Joe Hill / Phil Ochs (Billy Bragg) -- Joe Hill's last will / Joe Hill (Utah Phillips) -- Joe Hill's ashes / Mark Levy (Mark Levy) -- The preacher and the slave / Joe Hill ("Haywire Mac" McClintock) -- Joe Hill / Alfred Hayes, Earl Robinson (Paul Robeson) -- Paper heart / Si Kahn, Charlotte Brody (Si Kahn) -- Casey Jones, the union scab / Joe Hill (Pete Seeger and the Song Swappers) -- Mr. Block / Joe Hill (Mats Paulson) -- Joe Hill listens to the praying / Kenneth Patchen (Joe Glazer) -- The tramp / Joe Hill (Cisco Houston) -- Joe Hill / Afred Hayes, Earl Robinson (Earl Robinson) -- The white slave / Joe Hill (Alfred Esteban Cortez) -- Narrative (Elizabeth Gurley Flynn) -- The rebel girl / Joe Hill; arr. and adapted with original material by Hazel Dickens (Hazel Dickens) -- There is power in a union / Joe Hill (Entertainment Workers IU 630, I.W.W.). Sound/D 71

Presidential Campaign Songs, 1789-1996 [SOUND RECORDING]

Free elections (In General) (0:27) -- Follow Washington (GeorgeWashington) (1:01) -- Adams and liberty (John Adams) (1:36) -- ForJefferson and liberty (Thomas Jefferson) (1:51) -- Huzzah for Madison,huzzah (James Madison) (1:22) -- Monroe is the man (James Monroe)(1:29) -- Little know ye who's coming (John Q. Adams) (1:58) -- Jacksonand Kentucky (Andrew Jackson) (2:10) -- Rockabye, baby (Martin VanBuren) (1:24) -- The Harrison yankee doodle (William H. Harrison) (1:12)-- Tippecanoe and Tyler, too (John Tyler) (1:15) -- Jimmy Polk ofTennessee (James K. Polk) (1:37) -- Rumadum dum (Zachary Taylor)(1:19) -- The union wagon (Millard Fillmore) (1:41) -- Pierce and king(Franklin Pierce) (1:36) -- Buchanan and John Breckenridge (JamesBuchanan) (1:12) -- Lincoln and liberty (Abraham Lincoln) (2:09) -- Justbefore election, Andy (Andrew Johnson) (1:41) -- Grant, Grant, Grant(Ulysses S. Grant) (1:27) -- For Hayes and Wheeler, too (RutherfordHayes) (1:20) -- If the Johnnies get into power again (James A. Garfield)(1:45) -- Democrats, good Democrats (Grover Cleveland) (1:38) -- He's allright (Benjamin H. Harrison) (1:20) -- Marching with McKinley (WilliamMcKinley) (2:04) -- Roosevelt the cry (Teddy Roosevelt) (1:14) -- Get ona raft with Taft (William H. Taft) (1:34) -- Wilson, that's all (WoodrowWilson) (1:51) -- Harding, you're the man for us (Warren G. Harding)(1:21) -- Keep cool and keep Coolidge (Calvin Coolidge) (2:17) -- If he'sgood enough for Lindy (Herbert Hoover) (1:35) -- Franklin D. Roosevelt'sback again (Franklin D. Roosevelt) (1:49) -- I'm just wild about Harry(Harry S. Truman) (0:47) -- I like Ike (Dwight D. Eisenhower) (0:40) --Marching down to Washington (John F. Kennedy) (1:03) -- Hello, Lyndon(Lyndon B. Johnson) (1:03) -- Buckle down with Nixon (Richard M.Nixon) (1:17) -- I'm feeling good about America (Gerald R. Ford) (1:22) --Why not the best? (Jimmy Carter) (2:29) -- California, here we come(Ronald W. Reagan) (0:37) -- This land is your land (George Bush) (1:29)-- Don't stop thinking about tomorrow (William J. Clinton) (2:19) -- Thesame merry-go-round (Third party) (1:42) -- Song of the presidents (all ofthem) (4:25). Oscar Brand, guitar and vocals; John Foley, guitar and vocals; Jordan Brand, bass and vocals; Jonathan Pickow, banjo, synthesizer, and vocals.Sound/D 80

Working & Union Songs [SOUND RECORDING]

Disc one. The Industrial Revolution: Weave room blues-- Ten andnine--Hard times in the mill--Work of the weavers--Ballad ofSpringhill--Blind Fiddler--Peg and awl--Weary cutters--Blow the mandown--Pat works on the railway--Royal telephone--Farmer is the man--Inmy merry Oldsmobile. -- Disc two. The labor movement, 1860s to 1930s:Solidarity forever--Storm the fort--8 hour day--My sweetheart's a mule inthe mine--Preacher and the slave--Joe Hill--Death of Mother Jones--Cottonmill girls--Ballad of dead girls-- I.L.G.W.U.--I ain't got no home--We shallnot be moved--Which side are you on? -- The labor movement, 1930s to1980s: Sit down--CIO is bigger than it used to be--Yablonskimurder--Buddy won't you roll down the line--Kumbaya--NostrosVenceremos--Huelga--Ninos campesinos--My oldman--Automation--Aragon Mill.

Dust Bowl Ballads (Woody Guthrie)[SOUND RECORDING]

Contents: The great dust storm (Dust storm disaster) -- Talking dust bowl blues -- Pretty Boy Floyd -- Dusty old dust (so long it's been good to know yuh) -- Dust bowl blues -- Blowin' down the road (I ain't going to be treated this way) -- Tom Joad, Part 1 -- Tom Joad, Part 2 -- Do re mi -- Dust bowl refugee -- I ain't got no home -- Vigilante man -- Dust can't kill me -- Dust pneumonia blues -- Talking dust bowl blues (alternate version). Recorded in New York City, Apr. 26, 1940 and May, 3, 1940. Sound/D 72

Songs for Political Action [SOUND RECORDING]

Disc one, The leftist roots of the folk revival. Disc two, Theatre and cabaret performers, 1936-1941. Sound/D 75-79

See Pathfinder for contents listing

Native American Musical Traditions

The American Indian Dance Theatre: Finding the Circle.

Presentation of various American Indian dances performed with Native American drums and music accompaniment. 60 min. Video/C 1865

Ceremonial Music of San Juan Pueblo: Eagle, Buffalo, Evening, Cloud, and Deer Dance

A discussion with Cipriano Garcia (Pueblo), Peter Garcia (Pueblo) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) concerning the ceremonial dances of the San Juan Pueblo with demonstations of the eagle, buffalo, evening, cloud and deer dances. 57 min. Video/C 6207

Into the Circle.

An Introduction to Oklahoma powwows and celebrations. Oklahoma, the original Indian Territory, is still home to more Native Americans and more tribes than any other state. It's an ideal location to see the widest array of dancers, singers and regalia. Slow motion sequences of national champions show the grace, power and intricate steps of dance styles. Video/C 3059 (58 min.)

JVC Smithsonian Folkways Video Anthology of Music and Dance of the Americas I, North American Indians

Contents: Drum dance -- Drum dance/women's drum dance/song duel -- Drum dance (two varieties) and taliun (women's sitting dance) -- Drum dance -- Haida totem pole ceremony and potlatch -- Songs and dances of the Kwakiutl -- "Chief Joseph memorial song" -- Ceremonial song -- Song for beginning a pow-wow -- Ceremonial song -- War dance -- Soup dance song -- Hoop dance -- "Owl song" and "Coyote song" -- War dance -- Rabbit dance -- Song of Chief Joseph -- Song sung by Yakima women -- War dance -- Song for beginning a pow-wow -- War dance -- Rabbit dance -- Hoop dance -- War dance. 595 min. Video/C 4497

Music in the World of the Yurok and Tolowa Indians.

A discussion with Loren Bommelyn (Tolowa), Aileen Figueroa (Yurok), Joy Sundberg (Yurok), and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) of traditional customs, dress, artifacts, and music of the Yurok and Tolowa. Traditional hunting, gambling, and passage rite songs are demonstrated. 56 min. Video/C 6208

Music of the Creek and Cherokee Indians in Religion and Government.

A discussion with Sam Scott (Creek), Archie Sam (Cherokee/Creek) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) concerning their childhood experiences and the music of their tribes. They demonstrate religious and tribal songs. 60 min. Video/C 6205

Music of the Sacred Fire: The Stomp Dance of the Oklahoma Cherokee.

A discussion with Willie Jumper (Cherokee), Archie Sam (Cherokee/Creek) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) of the religious symbolism underlying Cherokee ceremonies. Includes a performance of various types of stomp dances. 56 min. Video/C 6204

Navajo Traditional Music: Squaw Dance and Ribbon Dance.

A discussion with Sam Yazzie (Navajo), Sam Yazzie Jr. (Navajo) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee). Features a demonstration of the traditional Navajo squaw and ribbon dances. 60 min. Video/C 6203

Pepper's Pow Wow.

A tribute to the musical and cultural legacy of Jim Pepper, a contemporary Native American jazz musician. Pepper is one of the innovators in jazz-rock fusion as well as world music. He learned peyote chants at his grandfather's knee in Oklahoma and then went on to successfully fuse Native American music with jazz. 57 min. Video/C 5136

Song Journey.

A video journal of a trip through the powwow circuit in the United States and Canada in 1993. Looks at how women from a variety of tribes in North America participate in powwows and at how these women view their role in the music, dance, and costume associated with the powwow, in particular, the use of women as drummer/singers and dancers. 57 min. Video/C 4207

Traditional Music of Native Northwest California: Brush Dance, Feather Dance and Gambling Songs.

A discussion with Loren Brommelyn (Tolowa), Aileen Figueroa (Yurok), Joy Sundberg (Yurok), and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) featuring an explanation and performance of various types of ceremonial music. 61 min. Video/C 6201

Sam Yazzie, Navaho Singer.

A discussion with Sam Yazzie (Navajo) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee). Yazzie talks about his life and demonstrates traditional Navajo dance music, including the squaw dance. 61 min. Video/C 6302

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African American Musical Traditions

Gospel/Religious Music | Blues | Jazz | Soul/Rythm and Blues | Rap/Hip Hop | Miscellaneous

Gospel/Religious Music

Georgia Sea Island Singers

Presents pure spirituals sung as they were 100 years ago on St. Simon's, an isolated island off the Georgia coast. Each song is introduced by explanatory titles and is first sung unaccompanied by two men and three women, then later performed accompanied by a tamborine, a broom handle on a board, and dancing. Filmed by Bess Lomax Hawes. 1963. 12 min. Video/C MM577

Gospel According to Al Green.

Soul singer, Al Green vacillated between what he calls "a million-dollar career" and his calling to sing gospel music. After a conversion experience and a spurned lover committed suicide, Mr. Green bought himself the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Memphis, gave up his secular love songs and turned to the gospel full time. Here is presented an entertaining and electrifying look into the heart and soul of one of America's most vibrant gospel singers. Director, Robert Mugge. 1984. 94 min. Video/C 6914

Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory

Presents a biography of Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972), the world's greatest gospel singer, from her humble beginnings as a child singing in the churches of New Orleans, through her years in relative obscurity stubbornly refusing to adopt a more "commercial" sound, to her ascendancy to Carnegie Hall and the great stages of Europe. Narrator: Paul Winfield. Commentary: Jesse Jackson, Brother John Sellers, Studs Terkel. c1997. 90 min. Video/C 8084

Marian Anderson: the Lincoln Memorial Concert, 1939

Excerpt included in Treasures from American Film Archives. 8 min. DVD 363

On the Battlefield: Gospel Quartets(Repercussions: A Celebration of African Influenced Music)

Spirituals have been described both as the literature of American slavery and as the jewels that slaves brought out of bondage. Today, the harmony, percussive precision, and evangelical fervor of gospel music have made it a hit around the world. This program examines the influence of African music on the gospel sound and spotlights venerable gospel groups concluding with a Sunday gospel quartet celebration. 1984. 60 min. Video/C 7352

The Performed Word.

The power of the Afro-American performed word, particularly that of black preachers, is examined. Includes excerpts from services and interviews with Bishop E.E. Cleveland of Berkeley, California, esteemed at the embodiment of his culture and the bearer of Afro-American tradition. 60 min. Video/C 3209

Riffin' on Music & Language

Author and poet Amiri Baraka traces the roots of blues and jazz to traditional West African griot and djali musicians and performers who were the custodians of cultural memory. Baraka presents the link with these African entertainers and storytellers to such performers as Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Miles Davis, Gil Scott-Heron and modern-day rappers. 2000. 60 min. Sound/C 1518

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning.

This film documents the life of Arnold Dwight "Gatemouth" Moore, a prominent blues singer who left the stage at the height of his career to preach and sing gospel music. Among those interviewed are Rufus Thomas, Andrew Chaplin Jr., B.B. King, and Benjamin Hooks. Concludes with a service with Moore and gospel star, Rev. Al Green. 70 min. Video/C 2539

Description from California Newsreel catalog

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Say Amen, Somebody.

Documentary that follows gospel singer Willie Mae Ford Smith from her home to church services, to emotionally galvanic singing conventions. Also features Thomas Dorsey, her mentor, and the man credited with inventing gospel music. 100 min. DVD 611; Video/C 1873

The Songs Are Free.(World of Ideas with Bill Moyers)

Traces the history of communal singing and the musical repertoire rooted in the Black church -- from songs of resistance, courage, and pride to songs of determination and faith -- and explores their roles from the Underground Railroad through the Civil Rights movement and into the 1990's. 1997. 58 min. Video/C 5000

A Sound Baptism

Produced by students enrolled in Ethnographic Film (Anthropology 138B) at the University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Anthropology. Examines an Afro-American Christian church in which jazz music is the dominant element of the church service. 22 min. DVD 6704; Video/C 3987

The Spirituals

Before the blues, jazz, gospel and rock-a-roll, America honed an original form of music. Slaves created this musical expression, with African roots and a biblical text, for deliverance and secret communication. The Spirituals traces the painful history of this American art form and its contemporary significance with songs by The American Spiritual Ensemble. Directed by Ari Luis Palos. 2007. 28 min. DVD 8845

The Story of Gospel Music: The Power in the Voice

Rare vintage recordings and modern performances highlight this song-filled extravaganza presenting the history and origins of gospel music. Originating with Christian black slaves, gospel music drew from early European protestant hymns fused with West African rhythms, to bring to life a style of religious music that became a thriving force in the civil rights movement and influenced modern pop music. Performers: Mahalia Jackson, Thomas Dorsey, Rosetta Tharpe, Aretha Franklin, Cissy Houston, James Cleveland, Shirley Caesar, Tramaine Hawkins, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Clark Sisters, Edwin Hawkins Sisters, Dixie Hummingbirds, Fisk Jubilee Singers. c1999. 90 min. Video/C 8083

Straight, No Chaser

An interview with Amiri Baraka who discusses the cultural and political significance of African American music, rap, and motion pictures. He also addresses the activities of politician Jesse Jackson and motion picture producer Spike Lee. 1992. 60 min. Sound/C 1521

Too Close to Heaven: The Story of Gospel Music.

Using narration and performance footage, this film traces the 300 year history of gospel music. Part one examines the roots of gospel music which began when Black Africans became slaves on white American plantations and combined African music with Christianity to create a new musical form, the negro spiritual. Narrator, Alphonsia Emmanuel. Music (part I): First Cosmopolitan All Male Chorus (N. Carolina), Washington Temple Choir, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Rev. Cleophus Robinson and the Living Sisters, Excelsior Quartet, Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux. Music (part 2): Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson, Anderson Johnson, Fairfield Four, Golden Gate Quartet, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Clara Ward, Goldenaires, Gospel Music Workshop of America. Music (part 3): Staples singers, Gospel Music Workshop of America, Angela Spivey and the Voices of Victory, Thompson Community Choir, Clark Sisters, Mighty Clouds of Joy. 1997. 3 parts, 51 min. ea. Video/C 4940-4942

Blues

Bessie Smith and Friends.

Miscellaneous musical shorts, including the Nicholas Brothers, Eubie Blake, Teddy Wilson, and others. 39 min. Video/C 1990

Big City Blues.

A musical documentary about a new look at an old American musical form--the Blues. The film mixes scenes of the city of Chicago with musical performances and interviews with people connected with the Blues. Performer: Jim Brewer, Son Seals, Queen Sylvia Embry, Billy Branch. 28 min. Video/C 3118

The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins: The Sun's Gonna Shine.

A film by Les Blank. Focuses on blues singer Lightnin' Hopkins, who reveals the inspiration for his blues. Captures, through Hopkins' words and songs, the Black culture of Texas which reaches back to poverty, hard times, and a deep love of the land. Dist.: Flower Films. 31 min. DVD 3454; also VHS Video/C 1831

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Blues Like Showers of Rain.

An introduction to the world of Country Blues through historic photographs and field recordings.

Performer: Arvella Gray, Otis Spann, J.B. Lenoir, Little Brother Montgomery, Willie Thomas, Edwin Buster Pickens, Billie Pierce, Wade Walton, Robert Curtis Smith, Lonnie Johnson, Henry Townsend, Sunnyland Slim, Robert Lockwood, Sam Lightnin' Hopkins, James Butch Cage, James Brewer, St. Louis Jimmy, Charles Love, Sam Price, James Stump Johnson, Speckled Red. 30 min. Video/C 3119

Blues Masters: The Essential History of the Blues.

Rare performances and historical footage tracing the development of this uniquely American music form. 17 artists profiled.

Contents: Four day creep (Ida Cox) -- Fine and mellow (Billie Holiday) -- Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton) -- Hoochie Coochie man (Muddy Waters) -- Shake, rattle and roll (Big Joe Turner) -- Going to Chicago (Joe Williams) -- I Got My Eyes On You (Buddy Guy) -- Ain't Nobody's Business (Jimmy Witherspoon) -- Darlin' You Know I Love You (B.B. King) 51 min. ea. Video/C 3123 - 3124

Blues Masters

Contents: Got my mojo workin' (Muddy Waters & Band) -- Blues don't like nobody (Otis Spann) -- How long this train been gone (Mable Hillery) -- Cornbread and peas (Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee) -- Hooray, hooray, these women is killin' me (Sonny Terry) -- Born and livin' with the blues (Brownie McGhee) -- Tin Pan Alley (Sunnyland Slim) -- T'ain't nobody's business if I do (Otis Spann) -- Crazy for my baby (Willie Dixon) -- Bassology (Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim) -- You can't lose what you never had (Muddy Waters) -- Bye bye baby, goodbye (Muddy Waters Band).

In 1966, CBC Television invited some of North America's greatest blues performers to gather in a studio in Toronto. The artists were recorded together and individually in sessions that lasted three days. The result was originally televised as part of the CBC "Festival" series. Most of these artists are gone now, but 30 years later, the session video tapes have been found, restored and re-edited. Host, Canadian blues star, Colin James takes us on a personally guided tour of these classic performances. DVD 328

Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music.

This video explores the blues-- with all its poetic irony and sly humor, its eroticism and timeless power. It traces its roots from the beginning of the 20th Century through the Mississippi Delta to Louisiana, Texas, Kansas City and Chicago. Features Son House, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Bessie Smith, Count Basie, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Rushing, T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Dinah Washington, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry and many others.

"In a dizzying 85 minutes, Bluesland barnstorms through a century of blues, south and north, stopping briefly along the way to tip a musical hat to legendary heros, heroines and their progeny--from Charley Patton to Muddy Waters, from Jelly Roll Morton to Ellington, from T-Bone Walker to the Stones. While some attempt is made to provide a social and cultural context for the music, Bluesland revels most in the blues as a hugely influencial show biz phenomenon. Despite its tendency toward the perfunctory, it's a consistently high-spirited romp, presented through a collection of terrific archival photos and clips, and an entertainly slick narrative." (Review by G. Handman from American Libraries,May 1996). 85 min. Video/C 3999

Boogie Woogie Blues.

Afro-American blues singer Hadda Brooks sings and accompanies herself on the piano. Selections include "Don't take your love from me," "I'm tired of everything but you," and "Don't you think I ought to know.". Originally produced by All American News, Inc. in 1948, copyrighted by Alexander Productions in 1985. Preceded by introduction to the Tyler-Texas black film collection by Ossie Davis (4 min). 17 min. Video/C 7180

Bukka White and Son House.

Eddie "Son" House and Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White were passionate purveyors of their native Mississippi delta music and of slide guitar. 1991. 60 min. Video/C 3086

Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?: The Life & Music of Robert Johnson

Primarily a documentary of the life of blues man Robert Johnson including biographies of other famous blues artists, quotes and praises for Robert Johnson, a complete discography of Johnson, and a selected discography of other blues musicians. 1998. 77 min. Video/C 5941

Chicago Blues.

Traces the evolution of blues music from its origins in the rural south to the contemporary electric sound shaped in the ghettos of Chicago. Shows examples of the harsh experiences of Blacks in America and the liberation performances of such people as Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Floyd Jones, J.B. Hutto, Dick Gregory, and many others. 1986. 50 min. Video/C 3061

Hellhounds on my Trail: The Afterlife of Robert Johnson. (American Music Masters)

Heartfelt tribute to the influential and legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Includes commentary about the man and his music, along with musical performances which took place in Cleveland, Ohio during a weeklong group of events dedicated to the artist. Commentary: Robert Porter, Jim O'Neal, Peter Guralnick, Robert Jordan, Robert Santelli, Howard Kramer, and others; music performed by Bill Morrissey, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis, Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman, Keb' Mo', Tracy Nelson, Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Rory Block, G. Love & Special Sauce, Peter Green and many more. c1999. 95 min. Video/C 6913

History of the Blues.

Macintosh CD-ROM. Part 1: Roots. Part 2: The Twelve Bar Blues. Part 3: Classic Blues. Part 4: City Blues. Compu/D 265

Jimmy Sings the Blues: A Documentary About Jimmy McCracklin

Born in rural Arkansas, Jimmy McCracklin migrated in the late 1940s to Richmond, California, bringing with him the musical culture and styles of the South. His story is profoundly sad in terms of overt racism, musical piracy, illness and loss he has encountered, but equally joyous in the gift of music he possesses and the hundreds of songs he has written. This project was generated from the UC Berkeley Oral History Program on the California blues. Produced and directed by Caroline Crawford. 2006. 18 min. DVD 6027

Koko Taylor: Queen of the Blues.

Presents an unvarnished visual biography of the performer. 55 min. Video/C 3127

The Land Where the Blues Began.

Looks at the Mississippi Delta, where thousand of blacks came in search of work more than a century ago. Out of the hard life and sorrows of these wandering laborers came the blues.

"Everyone's favorite folklore maven, Alan Lomax, narrates this riveting and reverential investigation of blues origins deep in the Missippi delta. Lomax is adept at showing us the roots of the blues in work, in prayer, and in the troubles of everyday life-- "the bitter poetry of a hardpressed people." He also provides a fascinating look at some of the African musical forms and folk traditions which spawned the blues and related oral traditions, and he takes us into the isolated hills country and backwoods of Missippi to places where some of these folkways still survive today." (Review by G. Handman from American Libraries, May 1996). 60 min. Video/C 3120

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Long Train Running: a History of the Oakland Blues.

A film by Marlon Riggs. Examines taverns and clubs in Oakland, California where a distincitive style of blues music unique to Oakland was developed and performed. Includes interviews with blues musicians in the Oakland area and segments from the San Francisco Blues Festival. 29 min. DVD 1187; also on VHS Video/C 3799

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Mance Lipscomb and Lightnin' Hopkins.

Texas is rich in space and myth. In the 1920's, it had the greatest cultural diversity of any southern sate. Within its borders, black music was vital and had a particular style and sound all its own. These two artists profiled were two of the greatest Texas bluesmen to record. 60 min. Video/C 3087

Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues.

c2003.

Blues. 1, Feel Like Going Home. Scorsese winds his way from the banks of the Niger River in Mali to the cotton fields and juke joints of the Mississippi Delta to trace the origins of the blues in lyrical combination of original performances. Performers: Corey Harris, Willie King, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Otha Turner, Ali Farka Toure, Habib Koite, Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate. Archival performances: Son House, Muddy Waters, Johnny Shines, John Lee Hooker. 110 min. DVD 1989

Blues. 2, Soul of a Man. A film by Wim Wenders. Wim Wenders looks at the dramatic tension in the blues between the sacred and the profane by exploring the music and lives of three of his favorite blues artists: Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J.B. Lenoir. Part history, part personal pilgrimage, the film tells the story of these lives in music through an extended fictional film sequence, rare archival footage, present-day documentary scenes and performances of their songs by contemporary musicians. Performers: Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Shemekia Copeland, Eagle Eye Cherry, Vernon Reid, James Blood Ulmer, Los Lobos, T-Bone Burnett, Bonnie Raitt, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Marc Ribot, Garland Jeffreys, Nick Cave, The Bad Seeds. Archival performances: J. B. Lenoir, Skip James. 127 min. DVD 1990

Blues. 3, The road to Memphis. A film by Richard Pearce and Robert Kenner. Pearce traces the musical odyssey of blues legend B.B. King in a film that pays tribute to the city that gave birth to a new style of blues. He also takes viewers on the road and behind the scenes with Memphis blues veterans Bobby Rush and Rosco Gordon. His homage to Memphis features interviews with blues musicians and contemporary performances as well as well as historical footage of Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas and others. 119 min. DVD 1991

Blues. 4, Warming by the Devil's Fire. A film by Charles Burnett. Charles Burnett explores his own past as a young boy who was shuttled back and forth between Los Angeles and Mississippi, torn between an uncle who loved the blues and a mother who believed that the blues was the devil's music. His film mixes fictional storytelling with documentary footage of performances by a host of blues legends in a tale about a young boy's life in Mississippi in 1956, dramatizing the tensions between the heavenly strains of gospel and the devilish moans of the blues. Performer: Archival performances: Son House, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mississippi John Hurt, Victoria Spivey, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Ida Cox, Mamie Smith, Lightnin' Hopkins, Rev. Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, W.C. Handy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Bessie Smith. 106 min. DVD 1992

Blues. 5, Godfathers and Sons.A film by Marc Levin. Call them the Blues Brothers 2003. In Marc Levin's lively verite-driven film, hip-hop legend Chuck D (of Public Enemy) and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess and heir to the Chess Records legacy) return to Chicago to explore the heyday of Chicago blues as they unite to produce music that seeks to bring veteran blues players together with contemporary hip-hop musicians such as Common and members of the Roots. Performances: Koko Taylor, Ike Turner, Otis Rush, Chuck D., Common, Sam Lay, Lonnie Brooks, Pete Cosey, Morris Jennings, Phil Upchurch, Kyle Jason, Juice, Rahzel (of the Roots). Archival performances: Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bo Diddley, Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin Wolf, Willie Dixon, Public Enemy. 133 min. DVD 1993

Blues. 6, Red, White & Blues. A film by Mike Figgis.During the 1960s the United Kingdom was the location for a vibrant social revolution. The post-war traditional jazz and folk revival movements sewed the seeds for a new kind of blues music, entirely influenced by the black blues of the USA. Mike Figgis' film mixes interviews with dozens of the key players of the British blues movement with new music from an all-star jam session at the famous Abbey Road studios. Performers: Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Humphrey Lyttelton, Lonnie Donegan, B.B. King, Albert Lee, Chris Farlowe, Georgie Fame, Lulu. Archival performances: Rolling Stones, John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band , Aric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Cream, Alexis Korner, Big Bill Broonzy, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee. 126 min. DVD 1994

Blues. 7, Piano Blues. A film by Clint Eastwood. Director, actor and piano-player Clint Eastwood explores his life-long passion for piano blues, using a treasure trove of rare historical acts as well as interviews and performances by such living legends as Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Dr. John. Interviews and performances: Ray Charles, Dr. John, Marcia Ball, Pinetop Perkins, Dave Brubeck, Jay McShann. Archival performances: Ray Charles, Otis Spann, Art Tatum, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, Jay McShann, Big Joe Turner, Oscar Peterson, Nat King Cole, Martha Davis, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Charles Brown, Duke Ellington. 85 min. DVD 1995

Messin' With the Blues.

Chicago blues legends Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells perform some of their greatest hits live. Recorded June 28, 1974 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland. 54 min. Video/C 3115

Mississippi Blues.

A musical journey to Oxford, Mississippi where the legends of the Old South still live in the hearts of the people. 92 min. Video/C 3090

Out of the Blacks Into the Blues.

Focuses on the story of the blues using interviews and performances.

Pt. 1. Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Pet Williams, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Pt. 2. B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Junior Wells & Buddy Guy, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Mance Lipscomb, Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry.

"One of the many excellent videos on world roots music put out by Yazoo/Shanachie Records, Out of the Blacks Into the Blues is every bit as rough edged and authentic-looking as Bluesland is slick. Using minimal narration and little editing room artifice, the video is less a comprehensive history of the blues than a fascinating sampler of seminal rural and urban blues styles--interviews and performances captured in their entirety, in the manner of an ethnographic field recording. The primitive drive and passion of 90 year old Furry Lewis growling "When I Lay My Burden Down" is alone worth the price of admission." (Review by G. Handman from American Libraries, May 1996) 52 min. Video/C 3121

Rev. Gary Davis and Sonny Terry.

Durham, North Carolina in the 1930's was a moderate sized town whose economy was driven by tobacco farming. Two master musicians who made Durham their home, whose careers extended decades until they became literally world famous, were Reverend Gary Davis and Sonny Terry. 60 min. Video/C 3088

Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings[Sound Recording]

Contents: Kindhearted woman blues (2) -- I believe I'll dust my broom -- Sweet home Chicago -- Ramblin' on my mind (2) -- When you got a good friend (2) -- Come on in my kitchen (2) -- Terraplane blues -- Phonograph blues (2) -- 32-20 blues -- They're red hot -- Dead shrimp blues -- Cross road blues (2) -- Walkin' blues -- Last fair deal gone down -- Preachin' blues (Up jumped the Devil) -- If I had possession over judgment day -- Stones in my passway -- I'm a steady rollin' man -- From four until late -- Hell hound on my trail -- Little Queen of Spades (2) -- Malted milk -- Drunken hearted man (2) -- Me and the Devil blues (2) -- Stop breakin' down blues (2) -- Traveling riverside blues -- Honeymoon blues -- Love in vain blues (2) -- Milkcow's calf blues (2). Sound/D 92

Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues Singers[Sound Recording]

Contents: Cross road blues -- Terraplane blues -- Come on in my kitchen -- Walkin' blues -- Last fair deal gone down -- 32-20 blues -- Kind hearted woman blues -- If I had possession over judgement day -- Preachin' blues (Up jumped the devil) -- When you got a good friend -- Ramblin' on my own -- Stones in my passway -- Traveling riverside blues -- Milkcow's calf blues -- Me and the devil blues -- Hell hound on my trail -- Traveling riverside blues. Sound/D 93

Rock and Roll: Part 3: Crossroads. Part 4: Blues in Technicolor.

Crossroads traces the blues which changed the sound of rock and roll, from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago to the UK, where this earthy rich sound inspired a host of young British musicians bored with the pop music of the day. Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Keith Richards and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones and Jeff Beck tell how their hits introduced American rock fans to their own indigenous blues masters, like Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker. Blues in Technicolor takes viewers on a trip into the psychedelic rock world of the late 60's and early 70's. Using interviews with the Byrds, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Pink Floyd, this film shows how a bohemian folk culture based in San Francisco set off an international explosion of musical experimentation and eclecticism--much of it drug-inspired. Video/C 4160

The Search for Robert Johnson.

Traces the path of this private, troubled figure, one the kings of Delta country blues, cut down at the age of 27 by poisoned whiskey at the hands of a jealous husband.

"Among the panthon of blues giants, Robert Johnson may well be the greatest and most influencial. Yet despite Johnson's powerful musical legacy, many of the details of his life, including his violent death at 27 and his place of burial, remain a spooky mystery. Bluesman John Hammond takes us with him as he travels Southern backroads and dusty backstreets in search of clues about Robert's life, stopping occasionally at the crossroads to belt out a number of Johnson's well-known songs." (Review by G. Handman, from American Libraries, May 1996) 72 min. DVD 3825; also on VHS Video/C 3089

Sweet Home Chicago.

Chess Records, the independent company that became the premier home of Chicago blues, captured the sound of the great urban blues artists- artists who converted the music of the Southern Delta into a body of work that still resonates in today's Top 40. 64 min. Video/C 3126

That Rhythm--Those Blues (American Experience).

Focuses on the rhythm and blues music performed by black musicians during the 1940s and 1950s through the small towns and cities of the South. 58 min. Video/C 1532

A Well-Spent Life.

A film by Les Blank. Explores the black culture of rural Texas through the life of 75-year-old Mance Lipscomb, songster, sharecropper, and sage. Dist.: Flower Films. 44 min. DVD 4968; vhs Video/C 2110

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Wild Women Don't Have the Blues.

The story of Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Ida Cox, and other pioaneering women blues singers. This film recreates the stories of these women who left an indelible mark on the music world. 58 min. Video/C 2320

Description from California Newsreel catalog

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Jazz

African Americans in the West. Lecture by Willie Hill, Jr.

Willie Hill, Jr., distinguished jazz saxophonist, professor of music and assistant dean of Music at the University of Colorado in Boulder, discusses the evolution of the American jazz music industry with reference to seminal figures in American jazz and jazz figures in Colorado. Lecture is interspersed with jazz performances. Originally filmed on March 11, 1995. 89 min. Video/C MM248

All That Jazz (Comrades; 3)

In this series Soviet life and culture are presented through explorations of the lives of particular people. This episode details the life of Sergei Kuryokhin, an "unofficial" jazz musician in the Soviet Union. Once a member of the Leningrad Conservatory and Institute of Culture, he was expelled for playing unpredictable and uncontrollable jazz. 1986. UMATIC. 58 min. Video/C 1008:3

Archie Shepp: I Am Jazz...It's My Life.

A film portrait of Archie Shepp, multi-instrumentalist, composer, poet, playwright and educator. Whether on tenor or soprano sax or shouting his poems of protest, 52 min. Video/C 7477

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers: Live in '58 (Jazz Icons)

One of the finest lineups in the history of jazz - Art Blakey (drums), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass), Benny Golson (sax), and the legendary trumpet player, Lee Morgan. This historic concert, filmed in Belgium in 1958, is the only known visual of this influential band who were together for only six months. Contents:Just by myself -- Moanin' -- I remember Clifford -- It's you, or no one -- Whisper not -- A night in Tunisia -- NY theme. 55 min. DVD 6842

The Art Ensemble of Chicago: Live From the Jazz Showcase.

Music, Lester Bowie, trumpet and percussion; Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell, reeds and percussion; Malachi Favors Maghostut, bass and percussion; Famoudou Don Moye, drums and percussion. A live performance by the Art Ensemble of Chicago at the Jazz Showcase. Members of the quintet perform in quasi-African costumes, masks and face paint, surrounded by two tons of instruments -- drums, gongs, bells, saxophones, toys, and anything that makes useful noises -- all the while sharing musical and visual jokes as they go caroming through the history of jazz. 1981. 50 min. Video/C 7478

The Big Bands: Volume 2, The Soundies

Bar babble ; Man that's groovy ; La rosita / Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra -- Let me off uptown ; Thanks for the boogie ride / Gene Krupa and his Orchestra -- Tiger rag / Victor Young and orchestra -- Java jive ; The anvil chorus ; Lonesome road ; Volga boatman ; Jumpin' at the jukebox / Al Donahue and his Orchestra -- Boardwalk boogie ; Barnyard bounce / Will Bradley and his Orchestra -- Hop, skip and jump / Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra -- Boogie man ; It must be jelly (with Doris York) / Johnny Long and his Orchestra -- Are you happy? Amen ; The biggest aspidastra in the world / Johnny Messner and his Orchestra. The short films included in this compilation are known as Soundies. These musical films were shown in a jukebox machine called Panoram. Over 2000 of these films were made between 1941 and 1947. This volume includes some of the finest musicians and band leaders of the Big Band Era. This compilation consists of short films, originally released as Soundies, 1941-1947. DVD 8820

Bill Evans Trio in Europe: Concert and TV Broadcasts 1964-1975.

Comprises many rare concert and TV performances by Bill Evans's different trio formations, beginning as early as 1964 with a Stockholm TV broadcast and ending with the 1975 All Stars Monterey Jazz Festival concert. How my heart sings / Evans (3:55) -- Nardis / Davis (5:13) -- Who can I turn to / Newley ; Bricusse (6:01) -- Someday my prince will come / Morey ; Churchill (5:01) -- How deep is the ocean / Berlin (6:08) -- Waltz for Debby / Evans (4:32) -- My follish heart / Washington ; Young (4:41) -- Emily / Mandel ; Mercer (4:15) -- Bonus tracks: I loves you Porgy / Gershwin (3:08) -- Up with the lark / Robin ; Kern (6:14) -- Billie's bounce / Parker (with Marian McPartland, John Lewis & Patrice Rushen, piano) (5:00). Bill Evans, piano; Chuck Israels, Eddie Gomez, bass ; Larry Bunker, Marty Morell, Paul Motian, drums. Filmed in: London, TV broadcast, March 19, 1965 (tracks 1-6); Stockholm, TV broadcast, September 2, 1964 (track 7); Copenhagen, TV broadcast, December 15, 1970 (track 8); New York, TV broadcast, early 1969 (track 9); Monterey Jazz Festival, California, September 21, 1975 (track 10-11). DVD 5712

Billie Holiday: The Ultimate Collection.

Features rare TV and film performances by Billie Holiday, an especially rare radio interview with Mike Wallace, an audio-only rehearsal session with pianist Jimmy Rowles, audio interviews with friends and fellow musicians, an interactive timeline and an evocative photo-document gallery featuring hundreds of images, from rare photos to personal letters, plus Lady Day's complete recording history for major record companies. Performance highlights include three from 1956's Stars Of Jazz TV that are seen here for the first time since their original broadcast, Holiday's first appearance on film, Duke Ellington's "Saddest Tale," and the classic "Fine And Mellow" with Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and other jazz greats. Special features: Timeline: hundreds of images and interactive features; complete recording history for OKeh, vocalion, Brunswick, Aladdin, Columbia, Commodore, Capitol, Decca, Clef and Veve. Film and TV performances. Saddest tale; The blues are brewin'; Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans; Please don't talk about me when I'm gone; Billie's blues; My man (Mon homme); Fine and mellow; What a little moonlight can do; St. Louis blues / Bessie Smith; I cover the waterfront / Louis Armstrong -- Audio performances. Swing! Brother, Swing!; They can't take that away from me; Do nothing till you hear from me; I'll get by; I wonder where our love has gone -- Audio interviews. John Hammond, Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, Barney Josephson, Tiny Grimes, Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Rowles, Sylvia Syms, Corky Hale; 1955 audio rehearsal : Billie Holiday and Jimmy Rowles for "Jeepers Creepers"; 1956 audio interview : Billie Holiday with Mike Wallace, Night Beat. DVD 5299

Bird Now.

This film which contains the only existing footage of Charlie "Bird" Parker, retraces the life of the legendary jazzman, whose turbulent career provided the soundtrack for black America in the 1940's. His music was a cry of defiance in the face of racial segregation, police harassment and the dangers that lurked along the quick "escape routes" of drink and hard drugs. Performers: Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Chan Parker, Bill Miles, Walter Bishop, Jr., Tommy Potter, Lester Bowie. 1998. 60 min. Video/C 5883

Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz

Interviews: Gil Melle, Horace Silver, Hans Borgelt, Brigitte Mira, Hermann Haarmann, Bob Belden, Bob Cranshaw, Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, Ron Carter, Al Harewood, Max Roach, Francis Paudras, Herbie Hancock, Bertrand Tavernier, Carlos Santana, Charlie Lourie, Henri Renaud, Michael Cuscuna, Cassandra Wilson, Ira Gitler, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Performers: Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Dextor Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Junko Onishi, The Blue Note All Stars.

The story of Blue Note Records, the jazz record company founded in 1939 by German refugees Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. The history of the company has been intimately linked with the evolution of jazz music and the development of jazz musicians. Includes many recordings of live performances by Blue Note artists as well as interviews of staff, performers and critics. Illustrated with photos by Francis Wolff. 90 min. Video/C 5277

Branford Marsalis Quartet Performs Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" in Amsterdam Live

Branford Marsalis Quartet: Branford Marsalis, saxophone ; Joey Calderazzo, piano ; Eric Revis, bass ; Jeff "Tain" Watts, drums. Recorded at the Bimhuis Jazz Club in Amsterdam in 2003, presents the music of the Branford Marsalis Quartet while on tour. 111 min. DVD 5695

Buddy Rich: Live in '78 (Jazz Icons)

Buddy Rich highlights the relentless power and unparalleled artistry of the man who was known as "The World's Greatest Drummer." This 75-minute concert, taped in Holland in 1978, showcases one of the tightest big bands in history, featuring acclaimed saxophonist Steve Marcus and other members of Buddy's "Killer Force," the group he would later call "the best band I ever had." Standout performances include "Grand Concourse," "Big Swing Face," and "Channel One Suite," which climaxes in Buddy's signature drum solo. Contents: Ya gotta try -- Little train -- Best coast -- Grand concourse -- 'Round midnight -- Birdland -- Channel one suite -- Big swing face. 75 min. DVD 6830

Burning Poles

Performer: Cecil Taylor, Bosendorfer piano and vocals; William Parker, bass; Tony Oxley and Henry Martinez, drums and percussion. Three selections by African American pianist and vocalist Cecil Taylor. Taylor has forged a music so advanced in composition, improvisation, rhythm and technique, performed with such relentless energy, that it has simultaneously been the apex and much of the foundation of modern improvised music. 50 min. Video/C 9272

Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker.

In film clips, photos, and interviews, Parker's life is traced from Kansas City to the New York jazz scene of the 1950s 59 min. DVD 1742; also on VHS Video/C 2341

Charlie Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog

The first comprehensive documentary of Afro-American jazz bassist, bandleader and composer Charles Mingus who led a tumultuous life filled with trauma and frustration, joy and creativity. Nine years in the making and exhaustively researched, virtually everything used in the film is extraordinarily rare. Abundant clips of Mingus in performance in the 1960s and 1970s perfectly illustrate the many faces and tortured heart of a musical genius. 1997. 78 min. Video/C 3216

The Devil's Music: 1920s Jazz. (Culture Shock, 2)

Second of a four part series exploring why particular works of art became controversial. Part 2: In its early years, jazz faced resistance across America. Like rap today, jazz music was considered a dangerous influence on young people and society. It featured improvisation and the liberating rhythms of the black American experience instead of classical music forms. As jazz's popularity grew, moralists fought to suppress the music before it finally won acceptance as an art form. c2000. 60 min. Video/C 6909

Chet Baker: Live in '64 & '79 (Jazz Icons)

Features two concerts by the foremost interpreter of the West Coast school of cool jazz. Filmed in Europe 15 years apart, these two shows seen together provide an overview of Baker's illustrious career. The first show is a haunting 1964 performance in a Belgian TV studio with a quartet including long-time sidemen saxophonist Jacques Pelzer and French pianist Rene Urtreger. Songs include the Miles Davis classic, "So What," and the jazz standard "Time After Time" (a very rare rendition featuring Chet's "Cool" vocal style.) The soulful 1979 set from Norway, with a trio featuring vibraphonist Wolfgang Lackerschmid, highlights the growth and maturity of this troubled but inspiring artist. Contents: Belgium: Bye bye blackbird -- Isn't it romantic -- Airegin -- Time after time -- So what -- Norway: Interview -- Blue train -- Softly, as in a morning sunrise -- Five years ago -- Love for sale. Contents:Just by myself -- Moanin' -- I remember Clifford -- It's you, or no one -- Whisper not -- A night in Tunisia -- NY theme. Originally filmed in Belgium in 1963 and Norway in 1979. 71 min. DVD 6843

Count Basie: Live in '62(Jazz Icons)

Features one of the greatest big band orchestras captured at the height of their considerable powers. Billed frequently as the "most explosive force in jazz," this recently discovered 60-minute concert, taped in Sweden in 1962, highlights the legendary musical talents of this 18-piece band which included such luminaries as Marshal Royal, Freddie Green, Quentin "Butter" Jackson, Frank Wess and sensational drummer Sonny Payne. This is the earliest known complete concert of Count Basie and his orchestra to be released on film. Stellar performances include "Corner Pocket," "Old Man River," and "One O'Clock Jump."Contents: Easin' it -- You are too beautiful -- Corner pocket -- Stella by starlight -- Back to the apple -- I needs to be bee'd with -- I got rhythm -- Back water blues -- Alexander's ragtime band -- Old man river -- One O'clock jump. Taped in Sweden in 1962. 56 min. DVD 6828

The Cry of Jazz

Filmmaker and composer Edward O. Bland's polemical essay on the politics of music and race: a forecast of what he called "the death of jazz." Includes the only known footage of visionary pianist Sun Ra from his beloved Chicago-period. Also features tenor saxaphonist John Gilmore and the rest of Ra's Arkestra in Windy City nightclubs. Filmed in Chicago and completed in 1959. Based in part on the book "The fruits of the death of jazz" by Edward O. Bland. 34 min. DVD 5840

Diana Ross Live: The Lady Sings-- Jazz & Blues: Stolen Moments.

Contents: Fine and mellow (2:58) -- Them there eyes (3:42) -- Don't explain (4:48) -- What a little moonlight can do (3:46) -- Mean to me (2:41) -- Lover man (oh where can you be) (5:01) -- Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer (3:31) -- Little girl blue (3:21) -- There's a small hotel (2:47) -- I cried for you (6:38) -- The man I (cont'd) love (5:13) -- God bless the child (6:13) -- Love is here to stay (2:18) -- You've changed (2:59) -- Strange fruit (3:31) -- Good morning heartache (5:02) -- Ain't nobody's bizness if I do (2:44) -- My man (3:54) -- Fine and mellow (reprise) (2:06).

A live recording of a once in a lifetime performance by Diana Ross at the Ritz Theatre in New York City on December 4, 1992. In addition to the performance Ms. Ross is interviewed and shares her special behind-the-scenes footage of the show. 90 min. DVD 1396

Dizzy Gillespie.

A film by Les Blank. Focuses on the trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie, who, along with Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and others, sparked the change from jazz into "bop" in the 40's. Dizzy talks about his beginnings and his music theories and blows a lot of hot music on that famous horn. Also included is rare footage of Gillespie and Stan Kenton rehearsing the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra for the February 1, 1965 concert. Dist.: Flower Films. 22 min. Video/C 3557

Dizzy Gillespie: Live in '58 & '70 (Jazz Icons)

Features two historic concerts from one of the founding fathers of bebop. Filmed 12 years apart, the 1958 concert in Belgium features Dizzy working eloquently within the small combo structure of a quintet including such influential musicians as sax player Sonny Stitt and bassist Ray Brown. The second show in Denmark in 1970 focuses on a completely different side of Dizzy, fronting the legendary Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. With a 16-piece big band to conduct, including two drummers, his Latin influences are revealed on "Con Alma" and "Manteca." Contents: Belgium: Blues after dark -- On the sunny side of the street -- Loverman -- Cocktails for two -- Blues walk -- Denmark: Con alma -- The brother K -- Now hear my meanin' -- Manteca -- Let me outta here -- Things are here. 85 min. DVD 6844

Dizzy's Dream Band.

Contents: Manteca -- Night in Tunisia -- Groovin high -- Mr. Hi Hat -- Hot house -- Lover man -- Tin tin deo -- Salt peanuts (Vote Dizzy). Performer: Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet; with special guests Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Jon Hendricks and various jazz musicians.

Filmed in 1982 this is perhaps the definitive concert performance of Dizzy Gillespie captured on film, demonstrating the trumpet master's ingenious craft and commanding style. Recorded live at Lincoln Center, the show brought together twenty-five of the best jazz musicians. Interspersed with interviews, backstage banter and historic footage, this documentary gives an all-access pass to a once-in-a-life-time jazz music event. 89 min. Video/C 7479

Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For

This definitive look at the "The First Lady of Song" chronicles Ella's entire career, from her amateur night appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York to her unparalleled success on the stage and screen. The film includes never-before-seen performance footage and interviews with many of the great musicians who worked with and admired this truly amazing performer. A segment from the PBS television program: American masters. c1999. 86 min. DVD 5727

Ella Fitzgerald: Live in '57 & '63 (Jazz Icons)

The "First Lady Of Song" in two distinct performances. The first is the earliest known complete concert of Ella to be captured on film. Shot in Belgium, this 1957 concert has her performing with jazz greats Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jo Jones and the legendary Oscar Peterson on classics such as "Lullaby Of Birdland," and "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." The second show is an intimate in-studio performance from 1963, taped in Sweden, featuring Ella backed by a quartet including pianist Tommy Flanagan. Highlights include stellar versions of "Mack The Knife" and "Just One Of Those Things." Contents: Belgium: Angel eyes -- Lullaby of Birdland -- Love for sale -- Tenderly -- April in Paris -- Just one of those things -- Roll 'em Pete -- I can't give you anything but love -- It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing) -- Sweden: No moon at all -- Just one of those things -- Runnin' wild -- Georgia on my mind -- Desafinado -- Hallelujah, I love her so -- Mack the knife. Originally filmed in Belgium in 1957 and Sweden in 1963. 56 min. DVD 6829

A Great Day in Harlem

Commentators: Art Kane, Robert Benton, Gerry Mulligan, Bud Freeman, Mike Lipskin, Nat Hentoff, Milt Hinton, Soville Browne, Eddie Locke, Horace Silver, Art Farmer, Robert Altschuler, Art Blakey, Mona Hinton, Steve Frankfurt, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Marian McPartland, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones, Max Kaminsky, Buck Clayton. A documentary about a photograph taken in 1958 by Art Kane of the jazz greats of the period. Includes home movie footage of that day of the musicians arriving and greeting each other the morning of the shoot. Also includes conversations with musicians and archival performance footage. 60 min. Video/C 4197

Great Day in Harlem Web site

Great Day in Harlem (Wikipedia)

Sight and Sound v5, n6 (June, 1995):43 (2 pages).

New Yorker v70, n46 (Jan 23, 1995):95 (3 pages).

New York Times v144, sec3 (Sun, July 9, 1995):F10(N), F10(L), col 1, 15 col in.

New York Times v144, sec2 (Sun, Feb 12, 1995):H13(N), H13(L), col 5,

New York Times v144 (Fri, Feb 17, 1995):B6(N), C12(L), col 1,

The Greatest Jazz Films Ever

A compilation of some of the finest documentary footage showcasing the giants of jazz. Disc 1. Jammin' the Blues, featuring Lester Young, Red Callender, and others, directed by Gjon Mili (1944) -- Be Bop's Nest, featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie ("Stage Entrance" TV show, 1951 or 1952) -- Jazz at the Philharmonic, featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, directed by Gjon Mili -- The Sound of Miles Davis (complete edition) featuring Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Gil Evans, directed by Jack Smight. Disc 2. The Sound of Jazz (complete edition) featuring Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Giuffre and many others; directed by Jack Smight -- Jazz from Studio 61, featuring Ahmad Jamal, Ben Webster. Concept and design, Pep Faura. (NOTE: Side 1: PAL. Side 2: NTSC) DVD 5839

Harlem Roots. Volume 2, The Headliners

The short films included in this compilation are known as Soundies. These musical films were shown in a jukebox machine called Panoram. Over 2000 of these films were made between 1941 and 1947. This volume features three of the most accomplished African American musicians of the 1940s. Fats Waller: Honeysucke rose -- Your feet's too big -- Ain't misbehavin' -- The joint is jumpin' -- Louis Armstrong: When it's sleepy time down South - Shine -- I'll be glad when you're dead you rascal you -- Swinging on nothing -- Louis Jordan: Five guys named Moe -- Honey chile -- G.I. jive -- If you can't smile and say yes -- Fuzzy wuzzy -- Tillie -- Caldonia -- Buzz me -- Down, down, down -- Jumpin' at the jubilee. Fats Waller ; Louis Armstrong ; Louis Jordan. DVD 8821

International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

Focuses on the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-female multi-racial jazz band of postdepression years with a strong brass section, heavy percussion and a deep rhythmic sense. Includes interviews with former band members, other musicians, and fans. A film by Greta Schiller. 1986. 30 min. Video/C 4080

Eaklor, Vicki L. "International Sweethearts of Rhythm." Review. The American Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 4. (Oct., 1990), pp. 1146-1147. UC Berkeley users only

Jammin' the Blues

Rare performance featuring Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Marlowe Morris, "Big" Sid Catlett, Barney Kessel, Joe Jones, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet, Marie Bryant, and Archie Savage. Directed by Gjon Mili. 1942. DVD 6281 (supplement with Passage to Marseille)

Jazz (Ken Burns' Jazz)

2000. 90 min. each installment.

Gumbo. Jazz is born in New Orleans at the turn of the century emerging from several forms of music including ragtime, marching bands, work songs, spirituals, creole music, funeral parade music and above all, the blues. Musicians profiled here who advanced early jazz are Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, Freddie Keppard, and musicians of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Special features: motion menus; The making of Jazz, a special featurette. DVD 488

The Gift. From 1917 through 1924 the "Jazz Age" begins with speakeasies, flappers and easy money for some. The story of jazz becomes a tale of two cities, Chicago and New York and of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, whose lives and music will span three-quarters of a century. This episode also follows the careers of jazz greats James Reese Europe, King Oliver, Willie Smith, Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman and James P. Johnson. Special features: Motion menus, complete performance of Louis Armstrong "I cover the waterfront." DVD 489

Our Language. By 1924 to 1928 jazz is everywhere in America and spreading abroad. For the first time, soloists and singers take center stage, transforming the music with their distinctive voices. This episode traces the careers of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Sidney Bechet, Bessie Smith, Earl Hines, Ethel Waters, Bix Beiderbecke, the first great white jazz artist, and Benny Goodman, the son of Jewish immigrants. DVD 490

The True Welcome Home. Amid the hard times of the Depression new dances, the Lindy Hop and Swing, caught on at the dance halls of New York even as the jobless lined the streets and drought ruined Midwest farms. Jazz, during 1929 through 1935, lifted the nation's spirit. Record sales boomed while Armstrong became a major entertainer as singer, trumpeter, band leader, radio and film performer. Ellington's elegance, compositions, brilliant band films and recordings created a huge following in America and abroad. This segment also visits the careers of Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Billy Rose, Chick Webb, Fats Waller, Art Tatum and the record producer, John Hammond. DVD 491

Swing: Pure Pleasure. In the mid 1930s, as the Great Depression refuses to lift, Benny Goodman finds himself hailed as the "King of Swing" and becomes the first white bandleader to hire black musicians. He has a host or rivals among them, Chick Webb, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford, Glen Miller and Artie Shaw. Louis Armstrong heads a big band of his own, while Duke Ellington continues his independent course, but great black artists still can't eat or sleep in many of the hotels where they perform. Billie Holiday emerges from a childhood of tragedy to begin her career as the greatest of all female jazz singers. DVD 492

Swing: the Velocity of Celebration. In the late 1930s, as the Great Depression deepens, jazz thrives. The saxophone emerges as an iconic instrument of the music; this segment introduces two of its masters, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Young migrates to Kansas City, where a vibrant music scene is prospering with musicians such as trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and drummers Jo Jones and Chick Webb. Out of this ferment emerges pianist Count Basie, who forms a band that epitomizes the Kansas City sound. Billie Holiday cuts recordings while other women musicians, including pianist Mary Lou Williams and singer Ella Fitzgerald emerge on the jazz scene. Benny Goodman holds the first-ever jazz concert at Carnegie Hall while Duke Ellington tours Europe. DVD 493

Dedicated to Chaos. When America enters WWII in 1941, swing becomes a symbol of democracy and entertainers like Dave Brubeck, Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw take their music to the armed forces overseas. In New York Billie Holiday is unofficial queen despite a growing addiction to narcotics. Duke Ellington, assisted by the gifted young arranger, Billy Strayhorn, brings his music to ever-greater heights. After dark a small underground of gifted young musicians led by the trumpet virtuoso Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonists Charlie Parker and Ben Webster begin to develop a new fast and intricate way of playing, developing a new music called bebop. Meanwhile in 1945, black sol