Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz
VARIOUS ARTISTS
(EuroArts)
First released on VHS in 1997, this well-crafted European production, which chronicles the history of the fabled Blue Note jazz label, makes its DVD debut. The hour-and-a-half documentary is a loving portrait of an artistic and business venture launched in 1939 by German Jewish refugees Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. Blue Note was at the forefront, or helped establish, virtually every movement in jazz that came after. The film incorporates gobs of classic Blue Note music — the label's roster included just about every viable figure in modern jazz — along with live footage both vintage and more modern, scads of black-and-white still photos, interviews (Herbie Hancock, Max Roach and any number of behind-the-scenes folk), anecdotes and more. 3.5 stars
