A great day in harlem memorializing a footnote to jazz history, the documentary a great day in harlem recalls the events and personalities surrounding a 1958 photo shoot for esquire magazine. Duke ellington declared him, along with willie the lion smith, to be among the most important stride pianists. It was nominated for an academy award for best documentary feature. With dizzy gillespie, milt hinton, marian mcpartland, art blakey. A great day in harlem tour organized by img artists, in cooperation with castle hill productions, inc.
A great day in harlem is an oscar nominated documentary about the day 57 jazz musicians posed together on the steps of a new york city brownstone in 1958. To order a great day in harlem, go to tcm shopping. A great day in harlem also is noteworthy for the kansas city delegation that participated, including count basie, mary lou williams, and lester young. This documentary tells the background story of how a wonderful portrait of some of the worlds greatest jazz musicians was made in harlem in 1958. It was nominated for an academy award for best documentary feature director jean bach acquired an original home movie showing the 1958 photo shoot from musician milt hinton. A great day in harlem 1995 stream and watch online. A great day in harlem will resonate most with dedicated jazz buffs, but even casual fans should appreciate the film s genuine admiration for these great artists, whose lives were interwoven with. The documentary compiles interviews of many of the musicians in the photograph to talk about the day of the. Includes home movie footage of that day of the musicians arriving and greeting each other the morning of.
Just about every jazz musician at the time showed up for the photo shoot which took place in front of a brownstone near the 125th street station. May 18, 2020 in the 60minute film a great day in harlem, art kane, who was working at esquire magazine and was assigned to take a photograph for a cover story on jazz, tells the story of that amazing day. A great day in harlem harlem 58 the photograph part. The picture was taken by freelance photographer art kane for esquire magazine on august 12, 1958. Nov 01, 2018 on that journey, they exchanged ideas, made new connections and gained a deeper understanding of the harlem renaissance and its impact on our world today. A great day in harlemthe terminal film essay article.
A great day in harlem official trailer a great day in harlem is an engaging hourlong documentary recalling a 1950s photo session which assembled and immortalized some great names in jazz. Rent a great day in harlem the spitball story 1998 on. It was the subject of the 1994 documentary a great day in harlem and plays a pivotal role in the 2004 film the terminal, directed by steven. But the organization occasionally gets it right, as it did by nominating 1994s a great day in harlem for best documentary feature. Just about every jazz musician at the time showed up for the photo shoot which took place in front of a brownstone near the 125th. A great day in harlem cleveland international film. A great day in harlem or harlem 1958 is a 1958 black and white group portrait of 57 jazz musicians photographed on a street in harlem, new york city. Photographer art kane took the most wonderful photograph in jazz history that features 57 of the best jazz musicians ever, titled, a great day in harlem. Packed with lively interviews with the subjects, performances, and neverbeforeseen footage, this acclaimed. A great day in harlem is the story of a great photograph. Esquire published the photo in its january 1959 issue. Jazz legends gather in 1958 harlem for an esquire magazine photo shoot.
The story and sounds behind the most famous photo in the history of jazz. In 1958, a young art director named art kane was working at esquire magazine and was assigned to take a photograph for a cover story on jazz, a special tribute for the. At each stop on the tour, the documentary film a great day in harlem, in which art farmer was interviewed, was presented. Inspired by the photograph, the film follows three generations of africanamerican men. Rent a great day in harlem the spitball story 1998 starring quincy jones and dizzy gillespie on dvd and bluray.
This oscar nominated documentary chronicles a single event amongst jazz musicians. Harlem renaissance i too, sing america my great day in harlem. Mar 29, 2019 spanish harlem, and a dutch version, a great day in haarlem, among others. Move your cursor over the photograph to identify each musician then click for bio. The film made its debut in 1994 and was directed by jean bach. On a summer morning in 1958, esquire magazine art director art kane assembled a remarkable array of the days leading jazz musiciansdizzy gillespie, sonny rollins, art blakey, hank jones, milt hinton, and othersin harlem for a group photograph that would go down in history. The documentary compiles interviews of all the top jazz musicians in. In august of 1958, in front of a harlem brownstone, firsttime photographer art kane assembled 57 of the greatest jazz stars of all time and snapped a picture that would live forever.
At two university of idaho librarys special collections and archives workshops at 1. Feb 25, 2020 the event also features the short film a great day in harlem by producers harry jeudy and samuel ladouceur. For more information about a great day in harlem, visit image entertainment. Inspired by the photograph, the film follows three generations of africanamerican.
Gordon parks 19122006 visited this theme four decades after kane, showcasing the importance of the brownstone at 17 east 126th street. Its meat consists of interviews with some of the 57 jazz musicians who posed for the photo as well as the photographer art kane. The oscar nominated film by jean bach provides a behind the scenes account of a celebrated photo shoot of jazz musicians in harlem in 1958. Director jean bach acquired an original, home movie showing the 1958 photo shoot from musician milt hinton on the day the photograph was taken in 1958. Roberts later owned a popular bar in harlem called luckeys. A great day in harlem or harlem 1958 is a blackandwhite photograph of 57 jazz musicians in harlem, new york city. A great day exhibitions the gordon parks foundation. The documentary compiles interviews of all the top jazz musicians in nyc in the year 1958, for a piece in esquire magazine. One of my favorite films i have seen about jazz is a great day in harlem 1994, a 60minute exploration into the making of probably the most famous group jazz photo. By lorne graham, national affiliate program manager, nemc as a professional musician and film lover, i will offer recommendations to visitors to the. We captured each treasured moment from that trip to create a powerful documentary.
Oct 20, 2017 a great day in harlem is an hourlong documentary film that brings to life a remarkable moment in the history of jazz a moment in which dozens of americas jazz legends unexpectedly gathered together for a photograph that would become emblematic of the golden age of jazz. Where burns was ponderous and pontificating in his simply named film jazz, a great day in harlem has a few of the then still living participants in first time photographer art kanes famous 1958 esquire magazine photograph merely reminiscing about the day the shot was taken. Aug 12, 2016 a great day in harlem dives into the story behind the picture in detail, incorporating the priceless, joyinfused super8 footage that mona hinton, milts wife, shot during the session. A documentary about a photograph taken in 1958 by art kane of the jazz greats of the period. The musicians were gathered at 17 east 126th street between fifth and madison avenue. Mar 10, 1995 a great day in harlem castle hill, unrated is jean bachs loving story of the making of that photo. Harlem week harlem local harlem local harlem local. A great day in harlem is a wonderful documentary about a seemingly hohum subject the taking of a photograph. Even when the photograph in question involves some of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived, building a film around a static subject like a photograph is not an easy task. The event also features the short film a great day in harlem by producers harry jeudy and samuel ladouceur.
Jean bachs film takes one simple object as its central subject, art kanes famous 1958 photograph of nearly 30 jazz giants gathered on the steps of a harlem brownstone, and gathers as many stories relating to the. By illuminating this single, historic event, a great day in harlem. The musical clips arent overfamiliar and are killingly good. A great day in harlem cleveland international film festival. A great day in harlem is a 1994 american documentary film directed by jean bach about the photograph of the same name. On a summer morning in 1958, esquire magazine art director art kane assembled a remarkable array of the day s leading jazz musiciansdizzy gillespie, sonny rollins, art blakey, hank jones, milt hinton, and othersin harlem for a group photograph that would go down in history. Released february th, 1995, a great day in harlem stars quincy jones, dizzy gillespie, sonny rollins, buck clayton the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 0 min, and received a score of out of. Packed with lively interviews with the subjects, performances.
Jean bach, a radio producer of new york, recounted the story behind it in her 1994 documentary film, a great day in harlem. A great day in harlem is a fine documentary, but the added material of this 2disc set adds up to an oral history of a special corner of american culture. Feb 25, 2014 a great day in harlem is a wonderful documentary about a seemingly hohum subject the taking of a photograph. The story behind the iconic a great day in harlem photo. A great day in harlem is an hourlong documentary film that brings to life a remarkable moment in the history of jazz a moment in which dozens of americas. One day on a whim i tried amazon which i have never used in my 52 years. A great day in harlemthe terminal film essay article by nemc.
Jazz docu a great day in harlem art kane 1958 full youtube. Born in new york city in 1929, rollins was a tenor saxophonist, leader and composer. A great day in harlem 1994, directed by jean bach film. Sep 10, 2010 jean bach is the director and writer of the 1994 film a great day in harlem, an oscarnominated documentary about one of the most iconic images in jazz.
A great day in harlem bainbridge island museum of art. Jazz documentarian jean bach has taken a piece of business that didnt fit in her oscarnominated 1995 film a great day in harlem the late bebop innovator dizzy gillespie telling the tale of. A great day in harlem is a documentary directed by jean bach. Castle hill productions capital citiesabc video publishing image entertainment firm. The film exudes a love of jazz and an admiration for these artists that is absolutely intoxicating. A great day in harlem 1995 on a summer morning in 1958, photographer art kane assembled a remarkable array of leading jazz musicians in new york citys harlem neighborhood for a group picture. A great day in harlem is an hourlong documentary film that brings to life a remarkable moment in the history of jazz a moment in which dozens of americas jazz legends unexpectedly gathered. Feb 26, 2014 a great day in harlem is the story of a great photograph and much more. A great day in harlem withinearshot jazz festival at. The first event, on sunday july 28th, will be a great day in harlem, an outdoor festival at the u. Heaven for hep cats was that day in 1958 when young esquire magazine shutterbug art kane put out the word that he wanted all the great jazz performers in manhattan for a morning group portrait outside the west 125th street ny central railroad station. She used hintons home video as the basis for her hourlong documentary. Move your cursor over the photograph to identify each musician then. Dvd documentary on the anatomy of historic jazz photo.
A great day in harlem 1994 a great day in harlem 1994. Art kane, now deceased, coordinated a group photograph of all the top jazz musicians in nyc in the year 1958, for a piece in esquire magazine. Documentary a great day in harlem featured in jazz. Oct, 2019 a great day in harlem is an hourlong documentary film that brings to life a remarkable moment in the history of jazz a moment in which dozens of americas jazz legends unexpectedly gathered together for a photograph that would become emblematic of the golden age of jazz.
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