[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Documentaries on Netflix

[Robert S. Ringwald]

 Dave Stoddard wrote:

> I am a Netflix subscriber, and I once recall seeing a fellow Lister 
> recommend some Benny Goodman documentaries on Netflix.  For that matter, I 
> would be interested in seeing any well-done documentaries about jazz 
> musicians.  Any suggestions?
  (snip)

Dave,

While not a documentary, get Brother Low Down by Woody Allen, if you haven't 
seen it.  Great music in it.

Howard Alden played the guitar parts and worked with Sean Penn to make it 
look as if he was doing the playing.

It is a good film also.

Of course there is The Benny Goodman Story.  Dumb story line and some bad 
acting but great music!

Of course, while the story line in Pete Kelly's Blues is corny, the music is 
great!.

The pianist Ray Sherman played in the band for the movie and also appeared 
on screen.  Being not familiar with being on a movie set, he told me about 
the following incident.

At one point in the film, Jack Web, who was supposed to be playing the 
trumpet, was handed a dollar bill as a tip.  He threw it over his shoulder 
and Ray was supposed to catch it in a glass.

Well, Ray missed it and yelled "Cut."  The whole crew fell down laughing.

On a movie set, no one, and I mean, no one says cut except for the director.

Pretty funny.

The Glenn Miller story has some good music also.  But the story line is also 
dumb.

Zeke Zarchy who is now 92, and who was Glenn's best friend in WWII and 
played lead trumpet in the band, told me that the only two things that were 
correct in the film was that Glenn was married and played trombone.  The 
rest is bull Hockey.

I'm sure some other listmates will come up with other films to watch.

--Bob Ringwald