BLUE NOTE: A STORY OF MODERN JAZZ

Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Taj Mahal, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Smith, and Many Others

Blue Note Records was founded in the 1930s and has played a vital role in the development of jazz for more than 60 years. Important works by some of the greatest jazz musicians in history -- John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and many others -- were recorded on the Blue Note label. The company's founders, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, both loved jazz (especially jazz with a bluesy element) and had true respect for the musicians with whom they worked. Featuring appearances by many artists -- and memorable music recorded in the Blue Note studios throughout the years -- this documentary explores the evolution of the genre, while telling the story of a company that marked an important period in music history.

With Bob Belden, Joachim Ernst Berendt, Art Blakey, Ron Carter, John Coltrane, Bob Cranshaw, Lou Donaldson, Dexter Gordon, Lorraine Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, J. J. Johnson, Ruth Lion, Taj Mahal, Gil Melle, Brigitte Mira, Theoonious Monk, Francis Paudras, Bud Powell, Andre Previn, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Carlos Santana, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith, Bertrand Tavernier, Tommy Turrentine, and Cassandra Wilson.

Contents

Founding Blue Note Records [8:57] Escaping Pre-War Germany [4:50] Building up the Label [7:33]
"It Must Schwing!" [9:48]
Jazz Visionaries [6:38]
Producing Records [6:47]
Sampling Blue Note [5:41]
Jazz Photography [6:39]
Development Over Decades [8:42]
The Characteristic Artwork [3:02]
Europe's Recognition of Jazz [8:25]
The Black "Sound" [8:16]
An Era Ends [1:57]
Credits [3:13]