[Dixielandjazz] The Last of the First

[Stephen Barbone]

List mates:

Don't miss this, all you Left Coast players. Having heard him recently,
drummer Johnny Blowers still swings his ass off at 91. He played with
ALL the Dixieland cats from 1930 to 1960, as well as in the swing bands.
Not only that, but he has a great "School" program for the kids in NYC
and on Long Island. Yes, these old guys could teach us all a thing or
two about the music. (and life in general)

Cheers
Steve Barbone

Below from another Jazz Chat List, posted by "duaniac":

Film Review: "The Last of the First"

Thu Jun 17, 1:59 AM ET

By Sheri Linden

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Much like "Buena Vista Social  Club"
and "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," "The Last of the  First" shines
a spotlight on musicians' musicians who have been
forgotten or overlooked.

Less stylish and polished than those hit documentaries but no less
heartfelt, "The Last of the First" looks at a group of New York-based
jazz artists who are, in the words of one observer, "architects of  the
swing era." In their 70s, 80s and 90s, they still swing, and director
Anja Baron's affection and respect for these surviving
pioneers pervades the film.

The right distributor could carve out a niche run for this warm
portrait. It screens June 23 and 24 at Los Angeles Film Festival.

Baron chronicled the final years of the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band,
whose members began their careers working with such giants as Fats
Waller, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman
and Frank Sinatra. The group has gone through several incarnations since
it was formed in the 1970s by Albert "Doc" Vollmer, an  orthodontist who
put his passion for jazz into action, giving  underemployed musicians a
way to pay the bills and stay young. The  documentary's intimate verite
footage shows Vollmer's gentle touch as  road manager, booster and
all-around father figure to his elders. He shepherds them downtown to a
weekly gig and to prestigious engagements overseas, where American jazz
artists have always found  more adulation than on home turf.

Historians and fellow musicians contribute appreciative comments, but
the band members themselves are the documentary's compelling and
spirited life force. "Retirement can kill you," says octogenarian Al
Casey, the revered guitarist who is the last surviving member of
Waller's band. After helping each other negotiate a treacherous
staircase down to a Paris club full of avid fans, Casey and saxophonist
Bubba Brooks seem to defy gravity when they begin playing. At 95, Larry
Lucie still teaches young guitarists at a community college -- and works
out at the gym three times a week. Johnny Blowers, 91, can lose himself
in a rapturous -- and strenuous -- drum solo. And when singer Laurel
Watson croons, it's clear why she was in contention for some of the same
big-band jobs as Billie Holiday.

When a series of trying events hits the band hard, the musicians prove
resilient. Among the unforgettable scenes Baron has captured is the
moment when, minutes after hearing of the death of one of their
bandmates, the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band launches into a memorial
improvisation of "You Made Me Love You." Sublime.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter