Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
The story behind Blue Note Records, founded in New York in 1939 by two German Jewish refugees who allowed their musicians complete artistic freedom, revolutionising jazz in the process.
A revelatory, thrilling and emotional journey behind the scenes of Blue Note Records, the pioneering label that gave voice to some of the finest jazz artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
When German Jewish refugees Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff started Blue Note in 1939 in New York, the two Berliners allowed their artists complete freedom and encouraged them to compose new music. Their visionary and uncompromising approach led to releases that did not just revolutionise jazz; they left an indelible imprint on art and music, including hip hop.
The present provides a point of departure from which the film recovers the past. Legendary artists Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter come together with today鈥檚 generation of groundbreaking Blue Note artists such as Robert Glasper and Ambrose Akinmusire to record an all-stars album.
These reflections lead us back to the highly influential figures of the past on which the legacy of Blue Note has been built, including Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Miles Davis. Rare archival interviews and conversations with Blue Note musicians provide an intimate look into the creation and philosophy behind some of the most seminal tracks in jazz history.
The film reveals the values that jazz embodies and that Blue Note has promoted since its inception: freedom of expression, equality, dialogue - values we can learn from and that are as relevant today as they were when the label was founded.
Last on
Music Played
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Blue Note All-Stars
Bayyinah
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Sidney Bechet Quintet
Summertime
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Herbie Hancock
Succotash
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Ike Quebec
Topsy
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Thelonious Monk
In Walked Bud
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Bud Powell
Un Poco Loco
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Carl-Erik Lindgren, John Coltrane
John Coltrane Interview ((By Carl-Erik Lindgren))
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John Coltrane
Blue Train
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Miles Davis All Stars
I Waited For You
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Cannonball Adderley
Somethin' Else
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Joe Henderson
Mode For Joe
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The Art Blakey Quintet
Mayreh
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Art Blakey
Moanin' (Alternate Take)
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Wayne Shorter
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
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Blue Note All-Stars, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock
Masquelero
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Lee Morgan
The Sidewinder
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Dr. Lonnie Smith
Spinning Wheel
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Lou Donaldson
Ode To Billie Joe
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Herbie Hancock
Cantaloupe Island
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Bobby McFerrin
Thinkin' About Your Body
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Us3
Cantaloop
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Norah Jones
Don't Know Why
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Robert Glasper Experiment
Black Radio (feat. Yasiin Bey)
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Kendrick Lamar
Mortal Man
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John Coltrane
Moment's Notice
Credits
Role | Contributor |
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Interviewed Guest | Ambrose Akinmusire |
Interviewed Guest | Michael Cuscuna |
Interviewed Guest | Lou Donaldson |
Interviewed Guest | Herbie Hancock |
Interviewed Guest | Norah Jones |
Interviewed Guest | Derrick Hodge |
Producer | Hercli Bundi |
Producer | Susanne Guggenberger |
Producer | Chiemi Karasawa |
Director | Sophie Huber |