Clark Terry Movies

While there are more than a few jazz groups who specialize in the classic sounds of the music's first Golden Era, before the rise of the major swing bands in the 1940s, the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band is one combo with a difference -- it's comprised of veteran musicians who didn't learn the style from records, but were actually playing it before it fell out of favor. Ranging in age from their seventies to their nineties, the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band includes sidemen who performed with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and many others. Despite the advanced age of the musicians, the group set toes tapping while holding down a celebrated residency at New York's Louisiana Bar and Grill for six years before mounting a triumphant tour of Europe. The Last of the First is a documentary that celebrates this unique group of jazz men, featuring archival footage of many of the players in their younger days as well as contemporary interviews and performances from these living legends. The Last of the First was screened as part of the 2004 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This isn't a film about a singer from the Lone Star state. "Texas Tenor" is a style of playing the saxophone which brings out its big sound and biggest volume. This documentary does a creditable job of exploring the life and times of the popularly unknown jazz and R&B saxophone legend Illinois Jacquet. He has played with most of the greats and almost single-handedly developed a rompin'-stompin' saxophone sound which has been a feature of great R&B ever since. A virtuoso performer with masterful phrasing, he became a star in the 1940s under the tutelage of Lionel Hampton, who had him change from alto to tenor sax and then gave him the opportunity to record an epochal solo in Flying Home. In addition to past and current performance and backstage footage, many jazz and rhythm and blues greats comment on Jacquet's playing and his place in music history. Some jazz-knowledgeable reviewers, evidently hoping for an entirely different and more erudite treatment, expressed disappointment in this documentary, others lauded it as one of the best ever made. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

All you need to know about the trumpet is featured in this instructional video. ~ All Movie Guide

This live performance spotlighting the video's namesake was recorded on Easter 1985 in Copenhagen at the Club Montmartre. Known best for his trumpet work, Clark Terry also displays his abilities as a vocalist and flugelhorn player throughout the performance. Terry, who studied under such legends as Duke Ellington and Count Basie, is joined by Jimmie Wood, Duke Jordan, and Spins Norregaard. The quartet performs "In a Mello Tone," "Mood Indigo," "Just Squeeze Me," "God Bless the Child," "Satin Doll," and "Lady Be Good." ~ Jackie Turner-Robinson, All Movie Guide

On Labor Day weekend, at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, jazz musicians and buffs from around the U.S. gather for a combination celebration, jam-session and concertizing wing-ding. This uncontrived film documents many of the performances and encounters that took place during the four-day period of one of these festivals. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The Zig-Zag club provides a dream come true for a young musician. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide