There are some great music documentaries floating around the intarwebs, a lot of them on Netflix (in Canada at least). Here’s our short-list of stuff you should’ve seen by now, in other words, if you haven’t you might want to look into it. Think of it as homework. But fun homework!
Chasing Trane
This one’s pretty much a no brainer. I mean, John Coltrane. You dig?
Keep on Keepin’ On
Heartwarming, at times hard to watch, documentary on the friendship between rising star pianist Justin Kauflin and his older mentor jazz legend Clark Terry. A must watch.
Ken Burn’s Jazz & Icons Among Us
I grew up on Ken Burn’s Jazz. I’ve come to learn it’s somewhat controversial but I think it covers a lot of ground. It’s really a good primer on the history of the music. For a more recent take on jazz music, although everything put on film always lags reality, check out Icons Among Us.
Crescendo, the Power of Music
Making a difference in the lives of inner city youths by teaching them classical music, based on the Venezuelan philosophy for social change of El Sistema.
I called him Morgan
The tumultuous life and untimely death of jazz legend Lee Morgan, killed at the age of 33 by his then wife.
What Happened, Miss Simone
The dark truth behind the life of one of the greatest musical geniuses of modern times.