More Than Jazz

Reissue of Standards Trio concerts; originally released separately as Live at Open Theater East and Trio Concert 1996

Early experimental film from Zbigniew Rybczynski that broke new ground in the use of pixelation, optical printing, animation and other compositional film devices. Beautiful jazz score and color usage.

Kansas City PBS is proud to present a documentary that looks back at the years Charlie “Bird” Parker spent in Kansas City and his lasting legacy on the Kansas City jazz scene. Bird: Not Out of Nowhere features rarely seen archival footage of Parker, interviews with musicians and historians, and live performances from Kansas City’s most talented jazz musicians.

The concert captured on William "Count" Basie's entry in the "must-own" audio/video Jazz Icons series comes from the vaults of Swedish Television. Modern eyes and ears are whisked to April 24, 1962, with Basie conducting his Atomic-era orchestra.

Join Louis Tomlinson as he undertakes his most ambitious project to date, The Away From Home Festival 2021. Following the postponement of his World Tour in 2020, Louis has announced plans to launch his own free festival in London to celebrate the return of live music in the UK. Directed by Charlie Lightening, and featuring unprecedented access, a fly-on-the-wall short film showing Louis and his team as they plan, and prepare for this momentous event. From early planning, through to the day of the show, and including unparalleled behind the scenes footage, follow Louis on the journey to The Away From Home Festival. Then watch as Louis and his band take to the stage performing a full headline set from London's famous Crystal Palace Bowl, their first show in front of a live audience for 18 months. As the show ends, follow backstage as Louis, his band, crew and team celebrate a return to live music.

Forgotten by all, an elderly jazz singer lives through the fragments of her past. Inspired by the true story of Giuli Chokheli, the most famous female Georgian jazz singer of her time, sometimes referred to as the Georgian Ella Fitzgerald. In this movie, Giuli Chokheli plays herself at the age of 87.

A documentary about the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday (1915-1959). There exist many myths and legends about the Jazz Singer Billie Holiday — one of the greatest voices of the last century. Most of them tell the story of the tragic victim of drugs, alcohol, men, color, or the circumstances of her upbringing. To some extent she contributed herself to these legends, especially in her autobiography "Lady Sings the Blues". In recent years, more and more records and reports have shown a different picture of her. These statements of confidants, colleagues and friends clean up with many of the legends and show a strong personality who has been anything but a pitiable victim. Billie Holiday was a strong-willed and determined person and a very complex personality who did not correspond to the classic victim type.

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

Dutch singer Caro Emerald burst into the limelight in 2010 when her debut album “Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor” went straight to the No.1 spot in her native Holland. Later in the year it was released across Europe to universal acclaim and huge commercial success. Her second album “The Shocking Miss Emerald”, released in the spring of 2013, was a No.1 album in the UK and Holland and continues to be a top chart title in many territories. This performance was filmed at the BBC Radio Theatre for BBC’s “In Concert” series earlier this year, with a 60 minute version being broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and on digital TV. The show features a mix of tracks from both her studio albums, including all her hits, and with a cover version of the Noel Coward song “Mad About The Boy”. Caro Emerald is a wonderful live performer with a fantastic voice and an engaging personality and this concert captures her at her best.