Jazz in movies

[Rosco]

Tell me about it--I remember Mo Better Blues as one of the clunkier "jazz movies" I've ever seen.  The things I remember about it are the awful montage with "A Love Supreme", the sequence where a blank-faced Bleek is chewed out by both women in his life, & the headbobbing, cartoony Jewish twins in charge of the club.

I remember Malcolm X & Clockers as OK though I haven't seen them since first release.

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Another half- forgotten film I've felt like I ought to revisit, just to see if it was as disappointing as I recall (and your comments have reminded me that it probably was).

I remember some Miles being used in that film (All Blues?). And Denzil's playing Terence Blanchard of course.

[Kari S]

Rosco, I'm with you regarding "The Collateral". Who cares if only jazz buffs (or if even them) noticed it - to me it was just plain silly.

Another similar thing is in the Tom Hanks movie "Terminal". The movie's climax is supposed to be Hanks' meeting with Benny Golson (playing a gig), but the music has been added in post production. Now, I'm not sure (don't remember) but the tune might've something easily recognisable. On screen, however, it looked as if Benny & Co were jamming with a DAT recorder.

And as far as "Mo' Better Blues" is concerned... Well, the less said the better. One of Lee's worst movies imo. There's also an anticlimax, when Denzel's group is supposed to be playing this great concert, and the tune is this terrible smooth jazz. I guess Blanchard is to be blamed for that. And Wesley Snipes as a jazz musician is just plain wrong. All the time I was anticipating him to start punching and shooting people.

[Dmitry]

Check this out -

A JAZZ AND BLUES FILMOGRAPHY BY DAVID MEEKER

This is THE David Meeker who wrote the book JAZZ IN THE MOVIES

[JSngry]

No meantion of They Saved Hitler's Brain on that Meeker site. I would really like to know whoi it was doing that avante-electric piano work.

Has nobody here seen this movie?

[Nate Dorward]

To judge by the entry for it on the IMDB it doesn't look like the kind of thing I'd want on my c.v., which may explain the mystery of who did the music......

[JSngry]

Oh, it's a horrible, horrible movie. And it's bizzare beyond belief - most of it was shot as a Grade C type drive-in filler type flick back in the late 1950s. But it didn't get released until the early 1960s, I think, and before it did, "they" added an opening sequence that has "short student film" written all over it.

The inconguity of the opening sequence is beyond belief, but whoever had control of the film saw fit to have this really nifty semi-avant-garde, electric piano-based jazz trio play the score for it.

One of the worst movies of all time, but so bad that's its even worse funny, especially the scenes where people are diving around in a car with Hitler's head is in a jar trying to talk to them.

[nathan]

I can think of two examples that not only really moved me and worked in context but, best of all, also introduced me to new pieces of music:

1 - I remember half-watching the pretty mediocre sci-fi movie Gattica and being totally struck-dumb by a version of Charlie Haden's First Song that I had never heard before. I tracked it down -- it was from a Stan Getz & Kenny Barron duo record called People Time -- and it remains one of my favorite pieces of music. Gorgeous, and easily the best thing I got from watching that film!

2 - From a movie I love, Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: in a moody, rain-drenched scene near the end, they play a piece from Nuba, by Jimmy Lyons, Andrew Cyrille & Jeanne Lee. Just haunted & mesmerizing...I finally tracked that record down, and it's another favorite. And a perfect fit for that moment in the film.

nathan

p.s. - count me as another big fan of The Conversation!

[Chuck Nessa]

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - FIND BLUE MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kalo]

I can think of two examples that not only really moved me and worked in context but, best of all, also introduced me to new pieces of music:

1 - I remember half-watching the pretty mediocre sci-fi movie Gattica and being totally struck-dumb by a version of Charlie Haden's First Song that I had never heard before. I tracked it down -- it was from a Stan Getz & Kenny Barron duo record called People Time -- and it remains one of my favorite pieces of music. Gorgeous, and easily the best thing I got from watching that film!

2 - From a movie I love, Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: in a moody, rain-drenched scene near the end, they play a piece from Nuba, by Jimmy Lyons, Andrew Cyrille & Jeanne Lee. Just haunted & mesmerizing...I finally tracked that record down, and it's another favorite. And a perfect fit for that moment in the film.

nathan

p.s. - count me as another big fan of The Conversation!

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People Time is a great record. I think I'll skip Gattaca, though.

I do want to catch up with Ghost Dog.

I can't believe that no-one's mentioned the sound track to Cronenberg's Naked Lunch, yet. Ornette with strings!

Anatomy of a Murder has been mentioned, but I just want to give it another big . Not just for Ellington's score and appearance in the film, but also because it's just so damned entertaining, with an excellent, ambiguous script, and an amazing cast of veterans (Jimmy Stewart, Eve Arden) and newcomers (Ben Gazzara, George C. Scott, and Lee Remick).

Edited August 4, 2005 by Kalo

[paul secor]

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - FIND BLUE MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I do remember renting Blue Monday years ago, but don't remember anything about it. Must be the result of trying to blot out the memory of seeing Sting in a film. (There was a NY area dj who used to refer to him as "Stinky". That's stuck with me & that's what comes into my mind whenever I hear or see his name.)

[Kalo]

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - FIND BLUE MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I do remember renting Blue Monday years ago, but don't remember anything about it. Must be the result of trying to blot out the memory of seeing Sting in a film. (There was a NY area dj who used to refer to him as "Stinky". That's stuck with me & that's what comes into my mind whenever I hear or see his name.)

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I guess it's not terribly original, but I've often called him "Stink," myself.

[Adam]

Blue Monday by New Order?

But seriously, I just came back from seeing the reissue of "Elevator to the Gallows" (please forgive my inability to give the correct French title). The Louis Malle film is playing at the Laemmle Royal in West Los Angeles. I imagine it must be at some other revival houses, or will be soon. That Miles Davis soundtrack is really quite marvelous in the film. Kenny Clarke's brush work throughout. Etc.

[Rosco]

I remember half-watching the pretty mediocre sci-fi movie Gattica and being totally struck-dumb by a version of Charlie Haden's First Song that I had never heard before. I tracked it down -- it was from a Stan Getz & Kenny Barron duo record called People Time -- and it remains one of my favorite pieces of music. Gorgeous, and easily the best thing I got from watching that film!

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Which reminds me...

About a year ago I watched a movie called Baffalo 66, a quirky (self-conciously so) little low budget indie movie starring Vincent Gallo and Christina Ricci.

A friend had asked me if I could identify a piece of saxophone music used in the latter part of the movie during a key dialogue-free scene between Gallo & Ricci.

Turns out it was 'I Remember When' from the Stan Getz album Focus. A beautiful piece of music from a fine album.

[ghost of miles]

No meantion of They Saved Hitler's Brain on that Meeker site. I would really like to know whoi it was doing that avante-electric piano work.

Has nobody here seen this movie?

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I'm surprised that Mystery Science Theater 3000 never sent this one up... or did they? They did another one, with a guy keeping a woman's head alive in a lab. Might've been THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE. No jazz that I remember in that one, though.

[RDK]

There's a jazzy (well, Ethiopian jazz, iirc) score in the new Jim Jarmush-Bill Murray film Broken Flowers.

[king ubu]

Blue Monday by New Order?

But seriously, I just came back from seeing the reissue of "Elevator to the Gallows" (please forgive my inability to give the correct French title).  The Louis Malle film is playing at the Laemmle Royal in West Los Angeles.  I imagine it must be at some other revival houses, or will be soon.  That Miles Davis soundtrack is really quite marvelous in the film.  Kenny Clarke's brush work throughout.  Etc.

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A marvellous film! Would be my first call on the topic!

There are some more great French films with jazz from those years... one with jazz on screen, too, is Roger Vadim's "Les liaisons dangereuses".

Some of the better jazz music recorded (often it seems for pretty mediocre films) has been collected on four volumes in the Jazz in Paris series. The band on screen is acting pretty frenetic, but somehow I liked it. I think it's not the musicians that did the album (Blakey & co with Barney on sax), but rather Barney, KD and Duke Jordan, but I'm not sure anymore. I think it was discussed in the film corner some time ago.

[Adam]

There's a jazzy (well, Ethiopian jazz, iirc) score in the new Jim Jarmush-Bill Murray film Broken Flowers.

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It's music from the Ethiopiques Series, namely Volume 4, which is marvelous!!!!! I'm forgetting the name of the primary artist.

[Nate Dorward]

Just been watching Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire--has a substantial appearance by Gene Krupa's band including the famous matchbox drumming routine. Who's the one black guy in the band (the trumpeter who takes a brief solo) by the way?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Roy Eldridge!

Mike

[Gary]

I've not seen the film but Finding Forrester looks to have a good soundtrack

1. Recollections by Miles Davis (from Bitches Brew)

2. Little Church by Miles Davis (from Live-Evil)

3. Black Satin by Miles Davis (from On The Corner)

4. Under A Golden Sky by Bill Frisell

5. Happy House by Ornette Coleman (from The Complete Science Fiction Sessions)

6. Over The Rainbow (Picture Book) by Bill Frisell

7. Lonely Fire (excerpt) by Miles Davis (from Bitches Brew)

8. Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World by I. Kamakawiwo'ole

9. Vonetta by Miles Davis (from Sorcerer)

10. Coffaro's Theme by Bill Frisell

11. Foreigner In A Free Land by Ornette Coleman (from Skies of America)

12. Beautiful E. by Bill Frisell

13. In A Silent Way (DJ Cam Remix) by Miles Davis from Panthalassa (Bill Laswell)

Has anybody actually seen the this film?

[Kalo]

Just been watching Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire--has a substantial appearance by Gene Krupa's band including the famous matchbox drumming routine.

I'd like to see this picture again soon. I just read a bio of the director, Howard Hawks. Apparently, Krupa came up with that routine on the set and Hawks decided to include it in the movie. Hawks was famous for encouraging actors to improvise and for tailoring roles to the actors as the film was being shot. Kinda "jazzy."

Edited August 8, 2005 by Kalo

[Free For All]

Just returned home and had a chance to read this thread.

One that hasn't been mentioned is Sharky's Machine, a pretty typical but decent Burt Reynolds detective flick from 1981. I recently found a cheap copy on DVD because I like to fast forward to a long, dialogue-free forensic scene that features a lengthy trading sequence by Carl Fontana and Bill Watrous! Very cool stuff. And Rachel Ward isn't bad either. I believe the film ended with a nice duet between Joe Williams and Sarah Vaughan.

Regarding Finding Forrester, a friend of mine plays trumpet in a club scene in the film and had a pretty long on-screen shot.

IIRC the film Little Man Tate had a nice score- I think it was Mark Isham who did the music.

Then there's the film Dingo which features Miles acting (like himself for the most part)!

I remember a fairly lame film called Lush Life which starred Jeff Goldblum as a jazz saxophonist.

[Nate Dorward]

Just been watching Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire--has a substantial appearance by Gene Krupa's band including the famous matchbox drumming routine.

I'd like to see this picture again soon. I just read a bio of the director, Howard Hawks. Apparently, Krupa came up with that routine on the set and Hawks decided to include it in the movie. Hawks was famous for encouraging actors to improvise and for tailoring roles to the actors as the film was being shot. Kinda "jazzy."

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Oh, the Todd McCarthy bio? Yes, been poking around in that a bit: very interesting to learn a bit about his methodology. -- Incidentally, which was shot first, The Lady Eve or Ball of Fire? There are a couple of bits in Ball of Fire which seem to glance off the Sturges film (in particular a memorable bit of dialogue involving apples).

[Dan Gould]

I was watching Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World this past weekend and realized that in the scene when Sylvester finally hears the phone ringing, there's a piano trio playing a blues. I searched IMDB but couldn't find any listing of who it might be.

[Christiern]

Last night on the Black Family Channel (which has the look and feel that Public Access channels had years ago) they showed "Moon Over Harlem," a truly amateurish film from 1939. There are some club scenes with a big band and, in one of them, Sidney Bechet's soprano emerges from the snap-crackle-and-pop soundtrack. Sure enough, he is in the band.

Anyone here ever heard of this film? I don't recall seeing it before.