The Cry of Jazz

Overview

Filmed in Chicago & finished in 1959, The Cry of Jazz is filmmaker, composer and arranger Edward O. Bland's polemical essay on the politics of music and race - a forecast of what he called "the death of jazz." A landmark moment in black film, foreseeing the civil unrest of subsequent decades, it also features the only known footage of visionary pianist Sun Ra from his beloved Chicago period. Featured are ample images of tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and the rest of Ra's Arkestra in Windy City nightclubs, all shot in glorious black & white.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

March 22, 1959

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English

Cast

Alan Leavitt,James Miller,Dorothea Horton,Melinda Dillon,Carl Dupree,Carl McCormack,George Waller,Lettie Mae Randolph,Gavin McFadyan,Andrew Duncanand 2 more

Director

Edward Bland

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt0193850