Jazz is an art form that can be examined any number of ways — historically, racially, structurally, even philosophically — but choosing one of those runs the risk of ignoring the equally-important rest. Sophie Huber’s thoughtful but unfocused documentary “Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes” falls short primarily because it tries too much, examining history, modern-day impact and legacy all in one.
Nevertheless an engaging thumbnail overview of the record label’s heyday, its key players, and the descendants and disciples committed to carrying on its name and vision, “Beyond the Notes” succeeds better as an introduction to Blue Note and jazz in general than as an expert or in-depth examination of the musical genre or one of its most iconic distributors.
Part of the challenge is deciding where to start: With the musicians who pioneered the genre, or the earliest fans-turned visionaries who helped get them heard? Huber begins with Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff,...
Nevertheless an engaging thumbnail overview of the record label’s heyday, its key players, and the descendants and disciples committed to carrying on its name and vision, “Beyond the Notes” succeeds better as an introduction to Blue Note and jazz in general than as an expert or in-depth examination of the musical genre or one of its most iconic distributors.
Part of the challenge is deciding where to start: With the musicians who pioneered the genre, or the earliest fans-turned visionaries who helped get them heard? Huber begins with Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff,...
- 6/12/2019
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
Musicians young and old drop a lot of heavy-duty jazz wisdom throughout Beyond the Notes, a new documentary about Blue Note Records that features commentary from the label’s Sixties stars such as Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter and new-school trailblazers like Robert Glasper and Ambrose Akinmusire. But the film’s single most eloquent statement might come from A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad who, reflecting on how Blue Note’s output fueled his own art through sampling, says that improvisation is akin to “finding a portal that...
- 6/12/2019
- by Hank Shteamer
- Rollingstone.com
Sophie Huber’s film, though sanctioned by the jazz record label, is no hagiography, interviewing key players and adding fantastic rostrum pictures of the era
This damn-near immaculate music documentary by Swiss film-maker Sophie Huber pays tribute to Blue Note Records, the iconic label most associated with mid-20th-century bebop jazz. Co-founded in 1939 by German-Jewish immigrants Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, Blue Note became a home for artists such as Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter (the last two are interviewed here). The label also issued key work by Miles Davis, Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane among others who largely recorded elsewhere.
Although clearly officially sanctioned by the label’s current owners this doesn’t feel like a slick, bland exercise in self-promotion. Instead, Huber crafts a respectful, crisply told but depth-plumbing history of the label, drawing from original recordings, vintage audio of studio chatter,...
This damn-near immaculate music documentary by Swiss film-maker Sophie Huber pays tribute to Blue Note Records, the iconic label most associated with mid-20th-century bebop jazz. Co-founded in 1939 by German-Jewish immigrants Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, Blue Note became a home for artists such as Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter (the last two are interviewed here). The label also issued key work by Miles Davis, Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane among others who largely recorded elsewhere.
Although clearly officially sanctioned by the label’s current owners this doesn’t feel like a slick, bland exercise in self-promotion. Instead, Huber crafts a respectful, crisply told but depth-plumbing history of the label, drawing from original recordings, vintage audio of studio chatter,...
- 3/15/2019
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
German sales outfits Studio Hamburg Enterprises and Picture Tree International announced a new strategic partnership Thursday that will see the two companies join forces to promote and distribute titles worldwide.
The collaboration kicks off with the jazz documentary It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story, directed by Eric Friedler and executive produced by Wim Wenders. The film tells the story of two young emigres from Berlin, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who founded the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records in New York 80 years ago, recording such musical pioneers as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Quincy Jones.
The ...
The collaboration kicks off with the jazz documentary It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story, directed by Eric Friedler and executive produced by Wim Wenders. The film tells the story of two young emigres from Berlin, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who founded the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records in New York 80 years ago, recording such musical pioneers as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Quincy Jones.
The ...
German sales outfits Studio Hamburg Enterprises and Picture Tree International announced a new strategic partnership Thursday that will see the two companies join forces to promote and distribute titles worldwide.
The collaboration kicks off with the jazz documentary It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story, directed by Eric Friedler and executive produced by Wim Wenders. The film tells the story of two young emigres from Berlin, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who founded the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records in New York 80 years ago, recording such musical pioneers as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Quincy Jones.
The ...
The collaboration kicks off with the jazz documentary It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story, directed by Eric Friedler and executive produced by Wim Wenders. The film tells the story of two young emigres from Berlin, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who founded the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records in New York 80 years ago, recording such musical pioneers as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Quincy Jones.
The ...
Berlin-based sales agency Picture Tree Intl. (Pti) has forged a strategic partnership with Studio Hamburg Enterprises (She), which kicks off with jazz documentary “It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story,” executive produced by Wim Wenders and directed by Eric Friedler.
The film is about the two young émigrés from Berlin, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who founded the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records in New York 80 years ago. The label’s stars included Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and Quincy Jones. Pic makes its market premiere in Berlin.
“At a time when African-American musicians were discriminated against in the U.S., Blue Note Records respected them as artists and equals and thereby contributed to the civil-rights movement,” said Picture Tree in a statement.
Pti and She will present the film jointly as the start of a long-term cooperation that will focus on feature films and television formats.
The film is about the two young émigrés from Berlin, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who founded the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records in New York 80 years ago. The label’s stars included Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and Quincy Jones. Pic makes its market premiere in Berlin.
“At a time when African-American musicians were discriminated against in the U.S., Blue Note Records respected them as artists and equals and thereby contributed to the civil-rights movement,” said Picture Tree in a statement.
Pti and She will present the film jointly as the start of a long-term cooperation that will focus on feature films and television formats.
- 2/7/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
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