Subgenre Sampler
Rental > Music > Jazz & Blues: 85 Films to Rent
- Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019)
- Dir. Benjamin Turner, Gabe Turner
Feat. Diana Ross
- The story of Motown Records told through interviews with the label's visionary founder, Berry Gordy, and many of its superstar artists and creative…
- Buena Vista Social Club: Adios (2017)
- Dir. Lucy Walker
- Taking up sixteen years after the original documentary, this sequel follows the five original band members from the Buena Vista Social Club on their…
- Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (2017)
- Dir. Lili Fini Zanuck
- An unflinching and deeply personal look into the life of blues–rock and guitar legend Eric Clapton, told through his own words and songs and…
- Sidemen (Sidemen: Long Road to Glory) (2016)
- Dir. Scott D. Rosenbaum
- Celebratory tribute to the lives and music of three blues greats: piano player Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith and guitarist Hubert…
- Born To Be Blue (2015)
- Dir. Robert Budreau
Feat. Ethan Hawke, Carmen Ejogo
- Impressionistic biopic re–imaging Chet Baker's musical comeback in the late '60s, with Ethan Hawke playing the jazz legend who battled heroin…
- Miles Ahead (2015)
- Dir. Don Cheadle
Feat. Don Cheadle, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Ewan McGregor…
- Don Cheadle directs and offers a full–throated performance as Miles Davis in this adventurous, non–linear, exploration of the life and…
- Finding Fela (2014)
- Dir. Alex Gibney
- Alex Gibney trains his inquisitorial eye on the celebrated musician Fela Kuti, a revolutionary political figure and a leading proponet of Afrobeat.
- Keep on Keepin' On (2014)
- Dir. Alan Hicks
- Infectious documentary that follows jazz legend Clark Terry over four years to document the mentorship between Terry and 23–year–old…
- Whiplash (2014)
- Dir. Damien Chazelle
Feat. Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser…
- A promising young jazz drummer enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at…
- Dancing on the Edge (TV series) (2013)
- Dir. Stephen Poliakoff
Feat. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew Goode, Angel Coulby…
- Aided by beautiful period detail, Stephen Poliakoff's latest drama richly explores the rise and fall of a black jazz band embraced by the aristocracy…
- This Ain't No Mouse Music! (2013)
- Dir. Chris Simon, Maureen Gosling
- Essential documentary on German–born American producer Chris Strachwitz, founder of the multifarious record label Arhoolie Records which is…
- B.B. King: The Life of Riley (2012)
- Dir. Jon Brewer
- Exhaustive documentary on blues legend B.B. King, melding recollections, milestones, and insights from the likes Bill Cosby, Carlos Santana, Bonnie…
- Quincy Jones (The 75th Birthday Celebration) (2009)
- Quincy Jones celebrates his 75th birthday at the Montreux Jazz Festival in grandiose style, next to a number of musical guests such as Patti Austin,…
- Tales of Mystery and Imagination (2009)
- Dir. Geoff Murphy
- Saxophonist Lucien Johnson and the works of Edgar Allan Poe meet for this avant–garde, Blerta–esque performance. Fusing a…
- Cadillac Records (2008)
- Dir. Darnell Martin
Feat. Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Gabrielle Union…
- Flashy interpretation of the rise of the seminal Chess Records, regarded by many as America's greatest blues label.
This ensemble piece is more…
- Anita O'Day - The Life of a Jazz Singer (2007)
- Dir. Robbie Cavolina, Ian McCrudden
- Thorough portrait of jazz extraordinaire Anita O'Day, from her emergence amongst luminaries Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the 40s, to…
- Honeydripper (2007)
- Dir. John Sayles
Feat. Danny Glover, Keb Mo, Mable John
- Musical drama featuring a number of blues musicians in acting roles, from director John Sayles (LONESTAR). Set in rural Alabama in the 50's, where a…
- Jumpin' and Jivin' (2007)
- Toe–tapping archive of early music clips and short films from the heyday of swing–era jazz.
The players include: Louis Jordan, Fats…
- Herbie Hancock - Possibilities (2006)
- Dir. Doug Biro
Feat. Herbie Hancock
- Uber–keyboardist Herbie Hancock collaborates with a roll call of admirers – Sting, Paul Simon, Annie Lennox and Christina Aguilera, among…
- Struggle No More (2006)
- Dir. Costa Botes
- Affectionate tribute to veteran Wellington band 'The Windy City Strugglers' who formed in 1968 to play a mix of blues, soul and jug–band music…
- Swing Guitar - The Genius of Django Reinhardt (2006)
- Short but informative documentary about the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who rose from obscurity as a European gypsy to become perhaps…
- Make It Funky (2005)
- Dir. Michael Murphy
- A worthy documentary about the teeming musical traditions of New Orleans (made before Hurricane Katrina), which displays a firm understanding of the…
- Duke Ellington - The Classic Hollywood Years (2004)
- The legendary jazz composer, bandleader and pianist Duke Ellington featured in various Hollywood films during his career and this DVD compiles short…
- Jazz Memories - The Incomparable Lena Horne (2004)
- Feat. Lena Horne
- Comprehensive documentary detailing the life and work of singer, actress and cultural icon Lena Horne, who began as a dancer in 'The Cotton Club' in…
- Jazz Memories - The Legendary Nat King Cole (2004)
- Feat. Nat King Cole
- A straight–forward account of the life of the charismatic Black–American performer Nat 'King' Cole, who made significant inroads into the…
- Lightning in a Bottle (2004)
- Dir. Antoine Fuqua
- An effectively simple '12–bar' account of the now–famous Radio City Music Hall concert in 2003 which brought together an unprecedented…
- Peggy Lee - Fever, The Music of (2004)
- A collection of clips from jazz–pop chanteuse Peggy Lee, who recorded over 1,100 masters and composed over 270 songs during a career that…
- Story of Jazz, The (2004)
- Dir. Matthew Seig
- Profiling some of Jazz's pivotal figures, this film features first–hand observations of dozens of great jazz artists.
Includes Duke…
- Get it On - The Seventies DVD Jukebox (2003)
- 22 classic tracks from the 1970's, taken from a European version of Top of the Pops. Stroll down memory lane with these great tracks:
1: Bryan…
- Later... with Jools Holland - Party (2003)
- More live tracks from Jools Hollands' excellent late night TV show, in which he jams with various legends of popular music.
Tracklisting:
1…
- Life and Music of Dizzy Gillespie, The (2003)
- Feat. Dizzy Gillespie
- A musical double–bill featuring legendary jazz trumpet–player Dizzy Gillespie, one of the key bebop musicians of the 1940s and…
- The Blues: Feel Like Going Home (2003)
- Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Taj Mahal
- The opening part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
In this…
- The Blues: Godfathers and Sons (2003)
- Dir. Marc Levin
- The fifth part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
A interesting…
- The Blues: Piano Blues (2003)
- Dir. Clint Eastwood
- The seventh and final part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
One…
- The Blues: Red White and Blues (2003)
- Dir. Mike Figgis
- The sixth part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
Another of the…
- The Blues: The Road to Memphis (2003)
- Dir. Richard Pearce, Robert Kenner
- The third part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
This episode…
- The Blues: The Soul of a Man (2003)
- Dir. Wim Wenders
- The second part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
One of the…
- The Blues: Warming by the Devil's Fire (2003)
- Dir. Charles Burnett
- The fourth part of Martin Scorcese's TV mini–series celebration of one of America's quintessential musical forms "the Blues".
One of the…
- Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey (2002)
- Feat. Bill Wyman
- Founding Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman (now fronting The Rhythm Kings) acknowledges the blues inspiration behind his bass guitar career.
In…
- Bookshelf on Top of the Sky, A (12 Stories About John Zorn) (2002)
- Dir. Claudia Heuermann
- A fittingly unconventional look at the background and achievements of postmodern musician/composer John Zorn, made by longtime fan, Claudia…
- Diana Krall - Live in Paris (2002)
- Dir. David Barnard
- The sensuous jazzy vocals of Diana Krall captivate the audience at the Paris Olympia in 2002, accompanied by full orchestra and big–band.
- Fleetwood Mac - Mick Fleetwood Story, The (2002)
- This documentary version of Mick Fleetwood's best–selling autobiography will appeal to music fans whether you're a Fleetwood Mac fan or not.…
- La Tropical (2002)
- Dir. David Turnley
- A sultry black and white tribute to Havana’s legendary dancehall ‘La Tropical’, with Pulitzer–Prize–winning photographer Turnley…
- Norah Jones - Live in New Orleans (2002)
- Dir. Jim Gabour
- Norah Jones and her her band are captured here in an intimate setting at the House of Blues in New Orleans on August 24, 2002.
Tracks: Cold Cold…
- Down from the Mountain (2001)
- Dir. Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus, D A Pennebaker
- Concert film of the much–admired bluegrass soundtrack from the Coen Bros O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?, that was a surprise winner of the Grammy…
- Etta James - Burnin' Down the House (2001)
- Dir. Daniel E Catullo lll
- One of the greatest modern blues singers, Etta James rips through a 90 minute set of jazz–bles classics.
- Miles Davis Story, The (2001)
- Dir. Mike Dibb
Feat. Miles Davis
- A Channel 4 documentary on the life and times of trumpeter, composer and jazz music legend Miles Davis.
The only authorised film of Miles' life…
- This Joint is Jumpin' (2001)
- A competent history of the 'Swing Jazz' era of the 1930s and 40s and its revival several decades later. Features archival footage of the era,…
- B. B. King - Jazz Channel (2000)
- Influential blues singer/guitarist B.B. King plays live–to–air in Washington DC and gives a short interview.
- Bobby Womack - Jazz Channel (2000)
- The legendary composer/singer/guitarist performs live in Washington D.C. such classics as “Across 110th Street”, “Looking for a Love” and…
- Calle 54 (2000)
- Dir. Fernando Trueba
- A luxurious and overdue tribute to the charms of Latin jazz, dir. Tueba’s (BELLE EPOQUE) musical passion.
Interviews with greats like Tito…
- Screaming Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on Me (2000)
- Dir. Nicholas Triandafyllidis
Feat. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
- Featuring dozens of confidential interviews and footage of Screamin' Jay Hawkins final live performances, this film chronicles the blues legend's…
- Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
- Dir. Wim Wenders
- A handful of sprightly elderly Cuban musicians assembled in 1996 by guitarist Ry Cooder produced, with their soulful, melodic jazz sound, the biggest…
- Ella Fitzgerald - Something to Live For (1999)
- Dir. Charlotte Zwerin
- A modest and carefully selected musical 'album' of jazz singer Fitzgerald's greatest years.
Not really biographical in its focus, this…
- Genghis Blues (1999)
- Dir. Roko Belic
- Absorbing, stranger–than–fiction tale of San Francisco singer Paul Pena’s passion for Tuvan ‘Throat–singing’…
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999)
- Dir. St. Clair Bourne
- Documentary exploring the life and career of Paul Robeson, the singer, actor and political activist whose distinctive bass baritone is heard on some…
- Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, The (1999)
- Produced after Ken Burns’ JAZZ, yet managing to illuminate ‘Satchmo’s’ life and times on several new levels, this artful collage of…
- Charlie Mingus - Triumph of the Underdog (1997)
- Dir. Don McGlyn
- The enigmatic bass player, as much known for his volcanic temperament as his musical innovations is well–served in jazz–documentarian…
- Dexter Gordon - More Than You Know (1996)
- Dir. Don McGlynn
- Tenor jazz saxophonist Dexter, renowned for his work with Lionel Hampton and others, gets fan treatment in a lively montage of performance and…
- Masters Of American Music (1995)
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- Search for Robert Johnson (1992)
- Dir. Chris Hunt
- Essential documentary attempts to unshroud the mystery surrounding the legendary Blues singer/songwriter who was murdered in 1938 at only 27.
- World According to John Coltrane, The (1991)
- A concise profile of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, from his roots in the church through his collaborations with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, to…
- Blues Alive (1990)
- A howlin' 16–track compilation of various live performances by Blues legends Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Ruth Brown and Otis Rush and others.
- Let's Get Lost (1989)
- Dir. Bruce Weber
- Stylish biography of jazz trumpeter/singer Chet Baker; rare concert footage and personal interviews combine to detail the life and music of this…
- Miles Davis in Paris (1989)
- Feat. Miles Davis
- Son of a dentist Miles blows life into his later material at the 1989 Paris Jazz Festival.
- Miles Davis - Time After Time (1988)
- Feat. Miles Davis
- Miles Davis blows the roof off the Munich Philharmonic Concert Hall, one of jazz trumpeteer's final live performances.
Tracklist: Perfect Way, The…
- Louie Bluie (1985)
- Dir. Terry Zwigoff
- The feature debut of director Terry Zwigoff (CRUMB) explores the life and music of William Howard Taft Armstrong, (known as Louie Bluie), a blues…
- Nina Simone - Live at Ronnie Scott's (1985)
- The gifted jazz singer Nina Simone captured live at Ronnie Scott's in London in 1985.
Tracklisting: God God God, If You Knew, Mr Smith, Fodder In…
- Dr. John and the Chris Barber Band - Live in London (1983)
- Dir. Derek Burbidge
- Featuring the unique 1983 performance at the Marquee Club in London, jazz legend Dr. John performs laid back tunes evocative of New Orleans, such as…
- Muddy Waters - Live at the Chicagofest (1981)
- The great electric bluesman Muddy Waters giving his final televised performance on August 3rd, 1981 at the Chicago Blues Festival.
Tracklist:…
- Joni Mitchell - Shadows and Light (1980)
- Dir. Joni Mitchell
Feat. Joni Mitchell
- A wonderful concert recording from the heyday of Joni Mitchell's 'jazz period' with a spectacular band featuring the likes of Jaco Pastorius, Pat…
- Memories of Duke Ellington (1980)
- A tribute to the great jazz composer–pianist 'Duke' Ellington, who created and developed his own sophisticated aesthetic from the late 1920s to…
- Sophisticated Ladies (Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Shirley Bassey) (1980-1993)
- Three films about three of jazz music's most celebrated female vocalists.
'Sarah Vaughan – The Divine One' (1993) – An overview of…
- Last of the Blue Devils, The (1979)
- Dir. Bruce Ricker
- Jazz documentary covering everything from the Basie big–band sound to Kansas City Jazz and blues and the rock and roll that brought attention…
- Sun Ra - Space is the Place (1974)
- Dir. John Coney
- Mind–straining curiosity has freaky jazz bandleader Sun Ra and his "Intergalactic Solar Arkestra" landing on Earth in a yellow spaceship and…
- Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
- Dir. Sidney J. Furie
Feat. Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor…
- Diana Ross is terrific in her acting debut as famously–troubled jazz legend Billie Holiday in this flawed but fascinating biographical drama…
- American Folk Blues Festival, The (1962-1966)
- Classic live performances from the American Folk–Blues Festival which toured Europe in the 1960s.
Adding a startling new dimension to the…
- Paris Blues (1961)
- Dir. Martin Ritt
Feat. Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Joanne Woodward…
- Undernourished romantic drama has Newman and Poitier as Jazz musicians on holiday in Paris forced to decide whether to stay or return to the U.S. for…
- Brel (Jacques Brel - Comme Quand On Était Beau) (1959-1973)
- Feat. Jacques Brel
- Comprehensive French boxed set of the television performances of the ground–breaking and influential Belgian singer and songwriter, Jacques…
- Jazz On a Summer's Day (1959)
- Dir. Bert Stern
- The definitive jazz concert film, shot at the Newport Festival in 1958 captures the sights and sounds and buzz of another time and place as well as…
- Sound of Jazz, The - Complete Edition (1957)
- A classic document of 1950s jazz history, this TV special carried an exceptional line–up playing 10 tracks. Personal include Billie Holiday,…
- Benny Goodman Story, The (1956)
- Dir. Valentine Davies
Feat. Steve Allen, Donna Reed
- Biopic of swing band leader Benny Goodman from age 10 (in 1919) to his landmark Carnegie Hall band concert in 1938. Not exactly historically…
- Great Performances - Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis (1944-1959)
- Feat. Miles Davis
- Rare archival footage of three jazz greats, comprising the following pieces:
'Jammin' the Blues' (1944) – 3 songs with Lester 'Prez' Young…
- Bachelor Lounge
- A series of laidback jazz clips from the 1970s, including live and television performances by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Duke…
- Songmakers Collection, The
- Dir. Morgan Neville
- Documentary about the musical revolution that took place in New York's Brill Building, an office space a few blocks from Times Square dubbed "The Hit…