Portrayals of Jazz Musicians on Film
Although the first talkie was called ‘The Jazz Singer,’ it had little to do with jazz, and it was really from the 1940s that the genre found its way into films and, flawed personalities aside, the music is often wonderful.
From Kirk Douglas’s trumpeter in ‘Young Man with a Horn’ and Swedish jazz wannabes in ‘Sven Klangs Kvintett’ to the peerless Dexter Gordon’s performance in ‘Round Midnight’ and the young Buddy Rich devotee in ‘Whiplash’ – what they have in common is that jazz lies at the heart of their very being.
Sandy Guthrie from Chichester Cinema’s Education Team will introduce some of the key moments in cinema jazz, from Hollywood, Europe and elsewhere.