Jammin' the Blues

"This - is a jam session. Quite often, these great artists gather and play, ad lib, hot music. It could be called a midnight symphony."

- The first line of the film

Based on the success of a series of Los Angeles jazz concerts, Warner Bros. produced the 20-minute film Jammin' the Blues to showcase musicians Lester Young, Harry Edison, Barney Kessel, Red Callender, and vocalist Marie Bryant. Concerts organizer Norman Granz assembled the musicians and the innovative Life magazine photographer Gjon Mili directed. Jazz musicians had never been filmed as they were in Jammin' the Blues. The sets and lighting gave the artists an evocative background against which to perform and the mobile cameras captured them interacting with each other naturally and comfortably.

Jammin' the Blues was added to the National Film Registry in 1995.


 * Notable Music Videos: Notable enough to be listed on the National Film Registry.
 * Token Minority: Barney Kessel was the only white musician in the film.