Jazz musicians that have cameos in films.

[Dmitry]

To make this thread more trying - what abut jazz musicians playing non-musician roles, or roles of musicians who also happen to be integral in the film plot, not just cameo music number appearances?

[duaneiac]

Saxophonist Med Flory had quite a career as an actor in movies and (primarily) TV.  He was in The Nutty Professor, the Elvis flick, The Trouble With Girls, the Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby flick, Let's Do It Again and who could ever forget his stirring performance as "White Shirt In Bar" in the Don Knotts classic, The Reluctant Astronaut.

 

[Jazzmonkie]

Jack Teagarden is in the Bing Crosby movie "Birh of the Blues" playing a character named Pepper.

[BFrank]

On 3/7/2020 at 1:11 PM, sidewinder said:

Graham Bond, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and John McLaughlin in ‘Gonks Go Beat’.

Wow! Cool.

Singer/Actor Bill Henderson plays the father of a Blue Blazer Scout (and helicopter pilot) in the great cult SciFi spoof, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension”

[Dmitry]

I know the thread is about cameos, but how about a leading man?

Harry Connick Jr. has starred in too many films to mention. Sinatra was a film star, of course. Bing Crosby...

[DMP]

Gerald Wilson was in an episode of “The Lineup” (the later, hour long ones, I think). And Jack Sheldon, of course. 

[duaneiac]

16 hours ago, Dmitry said:

I know the thread is about cameos, but how about a leading man?

Harry Connick Jr. has starred in too many films to mention. Sinatra was a film star, of course. Bing Crosby...

And don't forget (although you will probably wish to) Tony Bennett's "acting" in The Oscar --

 

[Dan Gould]

When Robin Williams sits in with the jazz group in Moscow on the Hudson, that's George Kelly playing the tenor sax well while Robin kinda bungles the opportunity.

[Dmitry]

13 hours ago, duaneiac said:

And don't forget (although you will probably wish to) Tony Bennett's "acting" in The Oscar --

 

That's pretty good. We've all seen much worse.

 

[soulpope]

Grace Kelly in "Bosch" (Season 2 Episode 2) ......

[Ken Dryden]

Benny Golson briefly appears toward the end of the Tom Hanks film The Terminal.

Benny Carter is briefly on camera playing in The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

Gerry Mulligan plays Judy Holiday's blind date in Bells Are Ringing.

[sambrasa]

On 8.3.2020 at 5:11 AM, sidewinder said:

Graham Bond, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and John McLaughlin in ‘Gonks Go Beat’.

 

[Ken Dryden]

Dexter Gordon appeared in a handful of episodes of the tv series Crime Story.

Gerry Mulligan played a saxophone-playing priest in The Subterraneans.

[Don Brown]

Benny Carter in Snows of Kilimanjaro.

[optatio]

Barre Phillips in UN ÉTÉ SAUVAGE https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200015289/ 

[BFrank]

Never heard of this film before, but caught a few minutes of it on TCM last week and was surprised to see some of these musicians. Not familiar with a lot of them, but a few are pretty obvious. Brubeck gets a few lines and playing a tune.
Dave Brubeck - Piano
John Dankworth - Alto Sax (as Johnny Dankworth)
Charles Mingus - Bass
Bert Courtley - Trumpet
Keith Christie - Trombone
Ray Dempsey - Guitar
Allan Ganley - Drums
Tubby Hayes - Tenor Sax and Vibes
Barry Morgan - Bongos
Kenny Napper - Bass
Colin Purbrook - Piano
John Scott - Alto Sax and Flute (as Johnny Scott)

[medjuck]

36 minutes ago, BFrank said:

Never heard of this film before, but caught a few minutes of it on TCM last week and was surprised to see some of these musicians. Not familiar with a lot of them, but a few are pretty obvious. Brubeck gets a few lines and playing a tune.
Dave Brubeck - Piano
John Dankworth - Alto Sax (as Johnny Dankworth)
Charles Mingus - Bass
Bert Courtley - Trumpet
Keith Christie - Trombone
Ray Dempsey - Guitar
Allan Ganley - Drums
Tubby Hayes - Tenor Sax and Vibes
Barry Morgan - Bongos
Kenny Napper - Bass
Colin Purbrook - Piano
John Scott - Alto Sax and Flute (as Johnny Scott)

IIRC (and I often don't) it's a jazz Othello.

Not a film, but isn't there an episode of "Route 66" with Coleman Hawkins is seen playing clarinet?   Yes! I just found this on Youtube.  With Jo Jones on trumpet and Roy Eldridge on drums!  (Excuse all the exclamation points. ). Ethel Walters was the first Black actress to receive and Emmy nomination for her role.  

Gerry Mulligan,  Sam Butera and Joe Bushkin in "The Rat Race". 

Edited May 15, 2020 by medjuck

[romualdo]

Maxine Roach/Uptown String Quartet in the recent "A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood" - they are actually in the movie plus they contribute to the original soundtrack

 

[porcy62]

John Dankworth in Joseph Losey's The Servant, he wrote the soundtrack too.

[BFrank]

On 5/15/2020 at 5:29 PM, medjuck said:

IIRC (and I often don't) it's a jazz Othello.

Yes - I think that's right.

[Hardbopjazz]

The TV show Melrose Place, there's some scenes in a jazz club. Cedar Walton is playing piano. I've never watched this show. Anyone know if this is true? There is a CD called Melrose Place Jazz. IT does have Cedar in the credits as well as several other jazz musucuans.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/melrose-place-jazz-upstairs-at-mp-mw0000032702 

[EKE BBB]

Palabras de amor (1968) by Antoni Ribas, a B-movie starring the great Spanish singer and songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat, shows Tete Montoliu playing piano.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by EKE BBB

[Steve Gray]

Sweet Emma Barrett in The Cincinatti Kid. 
 

Cab Calloway is also in it. 

[Hardbopjazz]

Motherless Brooklyn has a number of jazz musicians appearing in the film.  
Jerry Weldon

Joe Farnsworth. 
 

and others. 

[Holy Ghost]

On 3/5/2020 at 7:05 PM, duaneiac said:

The Benny Goodman Story was full of musician cameos including Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Harry James, Buck Clayton, Urbie Green, Stan Getz, Martha Tilton, Ziggy Elman, Ben Pollack, Kid Ory, Babe Russin and Alan Reuss.

Pete Kelly's Blues included Ella Fitzgerlad, Peggy Lee, George Van Eps, Nick Fatool, Matty Matlock and Joe Venuti.

Ella Fitzgerald also appeared (singing "A-Tisket, A-Tasket") in the Abbott & Costello film, Ride 'Em Cowboy.

Annie Ross was quite good in a more than cameo role in Robert Altman's Short Cuts.

The most classic cameo of all time must be Louis Armstrong's appearance in the film Hello Dolly.

Edit to add the second most classic cameo is probably Count Basie & His Orchestra in Blazing Saddles.

And then there was this:

I still gotta see that movie one of these days, no matter how awful it might be.

This movie was on just a few days ago on TCM and it is cheesy as shit, but the clips of Stan Getz (practicing for that nights gig in that cheesy club, but cool to see Gary Burton (I think)) and the Jimmy Smith Trio (who is the band) and Eric Burden and the Animals in full color was pretty decent. That alone was the price of admission and got me through it.