In memoriam Duke Ellington

1993-11-30 | de

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill

It's 1959 in a seedy bar in Philadelphia, and Billie Holiday is giving one of her last performances interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music 4 months before her death.

2016-03-12 | en

Les Paul - Live in New York

This Final Performance Tribute began on Les Paul's 90th birthday when luminaries from the musical world gathered to celebrate at New York's historic Iridium Jazz Club. Les and friends jammed every Monday for the next four years until the legend left us. Great moments from many of those cool sessions are presented in this tribute to the man who created a sonic boom with the solid-body electric guitar. About the Collector's Edition: Les jams live with special guests like Keith Richards, Steve Miller, and José Feliciano. Musical luminaries Bonnie Raitt, Tony Bennett, Sonya Hensley and others share their thoughts on Les. Includes 23 songs played by Les, like "Tennessee Waltz", "Route 66", "Back Home Again in Indiana", and the original rendition of "How High the Moon" with wife Mary Ford.

2010-08-24 | en

Blues for Herold

A struggling young man secretly plays a magical trumpet that transports him from his desolate world into a colorful "bliss." When his younger brother discovers his secret, their relationship is put in jeopardy.

2024-04-12 | en

Me & Stella

Geri Ashur’s Me & Stella traces the life of blues musician, folk singer, and composer Elizabeth Cotten—and her guitar, Stella—who is best known for writing the folk standard “Freight Train.” After spending her early teenage years writing songs and playing the guitar, Cotten put her musical career on hold for three decades. Encouraged by the very musical Seeger family, for whom she worked as a maid, Cotten started recording and became a star in the 1960s burgeoning folk revival at an age when most people are contemplating retirement.

1976-01-01 | en

Can You Hear God Crying?

World première recording of Hannibal Lokumbe's 'spritatorio' Can You Hear God Crying, which combines jazz, gospel and chamber music with West African prayers and songs. The piece, commissioned by Philadelphia philanthropist Carole Haas Gravagno, is about the composer's great-great-grandfather, who was born in the Sahara, kidnapped and enslaved in Liberia, and sold at auction in Charleston, S.C. He escaped to Texas, where he bought land and had a family.

2014-11-11 | en

Miles Davis & Keith Jarrett - The 1971 Berlin Concert

Containing a vibrant concert by the Miles Davis Band featuring Keith Jarrett.

2010-10-13 | it

The Last Of The Blue Devils - The Kansas City Jazz Story

Documentary film detailing the history of Kansas City jazz.

1979-10-01 | en

Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool

A musical documentary accompaniment to the 1994 benefit compilation album concerning AIDS in the African-American community.

1994-10-31 | en

Bill Laswell - World Beat Sound System: Live at Soundstage

Throughout three decades, Bill Laswell has been a constant innovator, fusing seemingly disparate genres into a whole new sound. Touching upon everything from worldbeat, funk, rock, hip-hop and jazz, there are no limits to his experimental approach. Among his many talents is his ability to bring together well-matched singers and players to create a distinct style that defies easy classification. His Soundstage episode embodies his unique approach, transcending any genre boundaries and delivering an engaging performance. From the World Beat of Tabla Beat Science, to the jazzy flavors of Pharoah Sanders backed by Material, it’s an exciting mix. Other surprises include a rocking Buckethead set that includes a little breakdancing and songs by Praxis. The show culminates with an all-star performance, funked up by Bootsy Collins.

2006-07-13 | en

Lambert & Co.

Jazz vocalist Dave Lambert auditions a new group of singers at RCA Studios in 1964.

1964-01-01 | en

Zaz: Sur La Route

ZAZ, in August 2014, completed a major tour spanning 5 continents, performing sold out each time. “On the Road” takes us behind the scenes of this triumphant world tour of 93 concerts.

2016-03-04 | en

RAYE: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2024

RAYE - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2024 is available now digitally Special thanks to the entire team at Montreux Jazz Festival!

2024-10-01 | en

FUNCTION

As seen and heard by... the Standing on the corner art ensemble, an "Exhibition" Index Film

2021-09-16 | en

The Manhattan Transfer & Take 6 - The Summit

Pop and jazz fusion vocal quartet The Manhattan Transfer is one of the most celebrated a cappella groups in history, with ten Grammys to their name. They have performed with a cornucopia of the biggest names in music - now including the innovative R&B and gospel a cappella group Take 6. Soundstage brings together these two wildly talented ensembles for the very first time - an unforgettable cross-cultural exchange that will test the limits of the unaccompanied voice!

2018-04-01 | en

The Wurst Has a Master Plan

A rain parade of sausages meets camels and kings in the 32 minute experimental syncing of Pharaoh Sanders' "The Creator has a master plan"

2025-01-16 | en

My Name is Ottilie

Soul singer Dana Masters traces the story of Ottilie Patterson, who for a dazzling few years in the late 1950s and early 1960s was a pioneer of British jazz and blues music and inspiration to later groups such as The Rolling Stones and The Pretty Things.

2023-02-01 | en

Take Five

Early experimental film from Zbigniew Rybczynski that broke new ground in the use of pixelation, optical printing, animation and other compositional film devices. Beautiful jazz score and color usage.

1972-04-28 | pl

Billie Holiday: A Sensation

A documentary about the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday (1915-1959). There exist many myths and legends about the Jazz Singer Billie Holiday — one of the greatest voices of the last century. Most of them tell the story of the tragic victim of drugs, alcohol, men, color, or the circumstances of her upbringing. To some extent she contributed herself to these legends, especially in her autobiography "Lady Sings the Blues". In recent years, more and more records and reports have shown a different picture of her. These statements of confidants, colleagues and friends clean up with many of the legends and show a strong personality who has been anything but a pitiable victim. Billie Holiday was a strong-willed and determined person and a very complex personality who did not correspond to the classic victim type.

2015-04-07 | en

Takanaka – Super Live 2022 - Saudade 40th Anniversary

2022 marks 40 years since the release of the album “SAUDADE” (September 1982). With producer Narada Michael Walden and guest appearances by T.M. Stevens and Sheila E, this is a masterpiece of fusion that topped the album charts at the time.

2023-07-26 | ja