1940-1950 A — Z 24 Available Shows

• The Life of a Jazz Singer

  Anita O'Day

  Year: 2013

  Runtime: 1 hr 31 min

  Anita O’Day was one of the greatest of American jazz singers and this is her astonishing story—a journey of survival, and above all the endurance of her talent, told in a number of frank interviews with her and with those who knew her. Her career was long and eventful, spanning seven decades, her last album recorded when she was 84. Anita O’Day only ever wanted to be a singer and the film showcases performances that date back to the 50s with such artists as Gene Krupa, Roy Eldridge, Stan Kenton, Louis Armstrong and Hoagy Carmichael. She is shown teaching Billy Taylor how to be a jazz vocalist. She speaks candidly, always candidly, with Dick Cavett, Bryant Gumble and David Frost, with clips from interviews done on 60 Minutes and CBS This Morning. Bert Stern, commenting on his experience filming Anita perform Sweet Georgia Brown for his film Jazz on a Summer’s Day, said it was the greatest rendition of the song ever made. Anita was a musical genius and pioneer who broke reverse race barriers. She was commonly regarded as one of the top female artists of her time, together with Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. The film portrays her as a woman who lived her life the way she wanted without ever looking back. She speaks openly about how she had to overcome great adversities, including a 20-year addiction to heroin and alcohol. She chose never to have children and married for only a brief period. She lived an often lonely life that was sustained only by her passion for music. Personalities talk about her quirky personality, while jazz critics and her few still living contemporaries speak of her extraordinary talent and how amazing it is that she continued to sing for so long. The film shows Anita on tour in Europe well into her eighties and her making that final recording, shortly before her death, the death of an icon.

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  The Life of a Jazz Singer

  Anita O'Day

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• At Carnegie Hall

  Count Basie

  Year: 1981

  Runtime: 1 hr 46 min

  Jazz legend Count Basie and His Orchestra perform a concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, with guests Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett and George Benson.

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  At Carnegie Hall

  Count Basie

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• Live at the Cote Dazur

  Duke Ellington And Ella Fitzgerald

  Year: 2008

  Runtime: 1 hr 3 min

  This latest addition to the Norman Granz collection, brings together two of the greatest names in jazz: Duke Ellington & Ella Fitzgerald. The film sees Duke performing live in the South of France with Ella Fitzgerald as his special guest . You'll also enjoy unseen footage of Duke Ellington in one of his last ever live performances jamming with Joe Pass, Ray Brown and Louie Bellson.

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  Live at the Cote Dazur

  Duke Ellington And Ella Fitzgerald

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• A Man and His Music Part I

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 1965

  Runtime: 51 min

  First broadcast by NBC on November 24, 1965, Frank Sinatra: A Man And His Music was Sinatra’s first annual one-hour television special. Broadcast at a time when television was in the process of switching to full time color programming, it is clear that television history was being made. Singing directly to the camera, Frank Sinatra makes the viewer feel as if he is telling his story directly to them.

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  A Man and His Music Part I

  Frank Sinatra

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• Concert For the Americas

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 2016

  Runtime: 1 hr 26 min

  The Concert For The Americas was a music festival held in the Dominican Republic at the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, a 5,000-seat, open-air Greek-style venue. This spectacular 1982 concert proves that even at age 66, Francis Albert Sinatra was still the undisputed Chairman Of The Board. This 90-minute epic performance features the legendary Buddy Rich on drums and a special guest appearance by guitarist Tony Mottola with a memorable rendition of Send In The Clowns.

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  Concert For the Americas

  Frank Sinatra

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• Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 1968

  Runtime: 52 min

  Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing opens with no introduction, just Sinatra and his microphone. He is joined by the stunning Diahann Carroll and together they sing a spiritual medley of Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen and Amen. Sinatra joins in with another guest - The Fifth Dimension, but this time he ditches the suit for a Nehru Jacket and sings a very groovy version of Sweet Blindness.

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  Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing

  Frank Sinatra

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• Legends in Concert

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 1939

  Runtime: 46 min

  This film presents a 45 minute selection of Frank Sinatra's finest songs, written by some of the world's most influential songwriters, including such hits as 'High Hopes' and 'Old Man River' all drawn from television appearances spanning his heyday period from the 40s to the 50s.

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  Legends in Concert

  Frank Sinatra

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• Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 2017

  Runtime: 51 min

  Sinatra returned from his brief retirement with the appropriately titled Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back. Released amidst a whirlwind of publicity, the album was a commercial success, earning gold status and peaking just outside the top-ten on the UK and Billboard album charts.
  The album was accompanied by a television special, Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra, which reunited Sinatra with Gene Kelly.

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  Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back

  Frank Sinatra

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• Sinatra and Friends

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 2016

  Runtime: 50 min

  Sinatra And Friends opens with Where And When featuring Natalie Cole, John Denver, Tony Bennett, Loretta Lynn, Leslie Uggams and Robert Merrill. Sinatra performs duets of standards in different styles such as folk and disco in addition to each singer performing solo. It is all music and no talking, exactly the way Sinatra wanted it.

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  Sinatra and Friends

  Frank Sinatra

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• Sinatra Featuring Don Costa and His Orchestra

  Frank Sinatra

  Year: 2012

  Runtime: 52 min

  Sinatra: Featuring Don Costa & His Orchestra is truly a one man show. Sinatra belts out For Once In My Lifeand it is perfection. Being the last of his five specials, his wit and banter is as engaging as ever. He narrates us through his movie clips with the timing of a stand-up comedian. The up tempo closing of the show makes it complete with My Kind Of Town.

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  Sinatra Featuring Don Costa and His Orchestra

  Frank Sinatra

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• Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm Live in Concert : North Sea Jazz Festival

  Ike Turner

  Year: 2002

  Runtime: 1 hr 10 min

  In this concert from 2002 the late R&B legend Ike Turner performed highlights from his extraordinary five-decade career.
  Ike Turner, the man widely credited as making the first-ever rock’n’roll record, died in December 2007, at the age of 76.
  
  One of the most important and influential figures in popular music, he played a key role in the development of rock ’n’ roll, soul and funk music from its early roots in Fifties R&B. Truly multi-talented, as a writer, music scout, arranger, performer and musician, Ike was responsible for a string of classic recordings and hits over the years.
  
  Recorded at Sun Records back in 1951, his ground-breaking R&B chart topper ‘Rocket 88’ is regarded as being the first rock‘n’roll record ever.
  
  Teaming up with future wife Tina in the late Fifties, the duo produced some of the most memorable soul and funk records of the Sixties and early Seventies, many of which crossed over into the pop mainstream. Ike’s immense music talent tended to be unfairly overlooked at times in favour of the media’s fascination with his often controversial personal life, such as his stormy relationship with Tina and his notorious abuse of cocaine over many years.
  
  Always a much-respected figure amongst hip-hop and R&B stars, his musical legacy has since been recognised by the rest of the music community. Ike had made a major comeback in recent years - touring the world and recording a string of acclaimed albums – in 2007 winning the Grammy Award for Comeback Album of The Year for his ‘Rising With The Blues’.
  
  Ike Turner’s outstanding musicianship is very evident from this concert performance filmed at the 2002 North Sea Jazz Festival which features highlights from his extraordinary five-decade career. The package includes blazing versions of the big hits ‘Nutbush City Limits’, ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘Rocket 88’.
  
  The 30-minute documentary ‘The Early Years’ chronicles his early days as a music trailblazer in the Fifties, whilst the 18-minute film ‘Memphis Heroes Award’ honours his contributions to popular music.

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  Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm Live in Concert : North Sea Jazz Festival

  Ike Turner

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• Jazz at the Smithsonian

  Joe Williams

  Year: 2005

  Runtime: 59 min

  Baritone jazz vocalist Joe Williams stars in this concert performance featuring such songs as "Everyday I Have The Blues" and "The Comeback."

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  Jazz at the Smithsonian

  Joe Williams

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• Masters from Country Blues

  John Lee Hooker And Furry Lewis

  Year: 1939

  Runtime: 45 min

  Musical histories of these two giants in the blues who grew up and developed their styles in Memphis and Mississippi. From the video series, ""Masters of the Country Blues.""

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  Masters from Country Blues

  John Lee Hooker And Furry Lewis

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• Rainbow Quest: Judy Collins and Elizabeth Cotten

  Judy Collins And Elizabeth Cotten

  Year: 1964

  Runtime: 1 hr 45 min

  The 1960s saw folk music enter the mainstream, with singers such as Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel sating the public's desire for the genre with some huge-selling records. Judy Collins and Elizabeth Cotten also emerged in this era, and have subsequently enjoyed lengthy careers in the music business. These two concerts were recorded in the 1960s, and highlight the talents of the pair, with Collins even tipping her hat to Dylan with a cover of his "Daddy You've Been On My Mind" in her set. Meanwhile, Cotten performs many of the songs that made her name, including "Wilson Rag" and "Freight Train."

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  Rainbow Quest: Judy Collins and Elizabeth Cotten

  Judy Collins And Elizabeth Cotten

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• Live At Rockpalast: Westfalenhalle Dortmund

  Muddy Waters Blues Band

  Year: 1978

  Runtime: 1 hr 1 min

  The formation accompanying Muddy Waters on this concert was one of the very best. At Westfalenhalle Dortmund on December 10, 1978 for the Rockpalast recording Muddy Waters mighty vocals and his splendid charisma on stage fascinated the audience. Muddy's guitar playing on the Fender Telecaster comes into full effect with his slow blues solos - and seldom had Muddy such a hot sound.

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  Live At Rockpalast: Westfalenhalle Dortmund

  Muddy Waters Blues Band

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• Stravinsky in Hollywood (2013)

  Stravinsky

  Year: 2013

  Runtime: 53 min

  This Stravinsky film is a remarkable documentary written, directed and edited by Marco Capalbo, telling of the legendary composer's life after he moved to Hollywood in 1939. He did this as he envisioned a new outlet for his music — writing for films. Walt Disney already was using The Rite of Spring in his Fantasia, but Stravinsky was not pleased with the cuts and rearrangement of his score, which, coming from Russia, was not then in copyright. Disney paid Stravinsky $6,000 for the rights to the music and the composer's name. Stravinsky was considered to write music for a number of other films including Gone With the Wind, Jane Eyre and The Song of Bernadette. He actually did write some music for the latter too, and it is fascinating to watch the brief episodes from the film with Stravinsky's music! Much of the film is devoted to Robert Craft, whose close association with Stravinsky was major, and Craft is seen often talking about their relationship. The association (or non-association) of Stravinsky and his neighbor Arnold Schoenberg, is clarified, and we hear commentary about Orpheus, Agon and for for-TV The Flood which was premiered on CBS i 1962 with Craft conducting. The script is perfect and clear and presumably narrated by Capalbo. This is among the finest documentaries available.

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  Stravinsky in Hollywood (2013)

  Stravinsky

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• Episode 04: Jungle Music - Jazz

  Tony Palmer

  Year: 1977

  Runtime: 52 min

  This documentary about the history of popular music in America focuses on the evolution of jazz music that took place throughout the South, taking a look at the broader musical principles that first set the style of music apart.

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  Episode 04: Jungle Music - Jazz

  Tony Palmer

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• Episode 08: Diamonds As Big As The Ritz - The Musical

  Tony Palmer

  Year: 1977

  Runtime: 52 min

  This documentary about the history of popular music in America focuses on the advent of the musical, and how musical theater influenced the sounds of pop music. Artists featured in concert footage and interviews include Galt MacDermott, Agnes de Mille, and more.

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  Episode 08: Diamonds As Big As The Ritz - The Musical

  Tony Palmer

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• Episode 10: Good Times - Rhythm And Blues

  Tony Palmer

  Year: 1976

  Runtime: 52 min

  This documentary focuses on R&B, and its various incarnations as Motown, Philadelphia Sound, and Soul. Artists featured in concert footage and interviews include Aretha Franklin, Ike and Tina Turner, Johnnie Ray, and more

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  Episode 10: Good Times - Rhythm And Blues

  Tony Palmer

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• Episode 11: Making Moonshine - Country Music

  Tony Palmer

  Year: 1977

  Runtime: 52 min

  In this installment in the All You Need Is Love documentary series, filmmakers examine the phenomenon of country music, eventually traveling backstage at the Grand Ole Opry during a broadcast of Grand Ole Gospel Time. Artists featured in concert footage and interviews include Bill Anderson, Jimmie Driftwood, Rex Ritter, and more.

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  Episode 11: Making Moonshine - Country Music

  Tony Palmer

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• Episode 12: Go Down, Moses - Songs Of War And Protest

  Tony Palmer

  Year: 1977

  Runtime: 54 min

  This documentary about focuses on folk music, tracing its roots back to the American War of Independence, when the music was a mode of expression for the rebellious American spirit. Artists featured in concert footage and interviews include Country Joe McDonald, Leonard Cohen and more

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  Episode 12: Go Down, Moses - Songs Of War And Protest

  Tony Palmer

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• America Dances 1897-1948 a Collectors Edition of Social Dance in Film

  Various Artists

  Year: 2016

  Runtime: 1 hr 18 min

  The America Dances live performance presents original film clips of Americans dancing iconic, vintage dances. Dancetime Publications has culled fascinating, incredible footage from multiple archives and libraries to create this astounding collection. A collectible treasure, America Dances! is a fascinating, original-source record of pivotal dance moments reflecting changing dance trends, expertise, and taste. A dance chronicle of our culture, this retrospective spans the panorama from average Americans dancing in newsreels to top quality performers who left a legacy of their moves across the ballroom floor. These film archives show rare footage of the African American and Latin dance heritage. More than 60 film clips from silent films, newsreels, instructional films, and feature films comprise this 75 minute video.

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  America Dances 1897-1948 a Collectors Edition of Social Dance in Film

  Various Artists

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• The Swingtime Collection:Half Past Jump Time!

  Various Artists

  Year: 1939

  Runtime: 1 hr 46 min

  Soundies from the '40s and Snader Telescriptions from the early '50s bring us these jumpin', jivin' performances. Along with giants we'll never forget (Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Jordan, Cab Calloway), you'll see unsung heroes of the swing era, some of whom never recorded commercially, and songs not available in any other format by performers both famous and obscure!
  

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  The Swingtime Collection:Half Past Jump Time!

  Various Artists

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• Willie the Lion

  Willie Smith

  Year: 2004

  Runtime: 57 min

  Willie the Lion documents the remarkable life and career of William Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith, better known as The Lion, a highly influential figure in the history of jazz. In addition to a full life that included a stint in the army, Smith composed numerous tunes and his piano style influenced such famous figures as Thelonious Monk, Artie Shaw, and Duke Ellington.

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  Willie the Lion

  Willie Smith

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