Overview
View one of the movies listed below, or any other fictionalized film about the life of a jazz muscian (not a live concert, documentary, or satire). Write a 750 word minimum essay contextualizing the movie within the matrix of concepts, personalities, and music examined in this course. In general, think of this essay as a “critical analysis” in which you need to explain the points you are asserting. Please address the following points:
• Give a brief (1 paragraph) biographical sketch of the principal character/musician. • Socially and musically, how is the principal character/musician portrayed? • What historical phase of the development of jazz does the principal character belong to? • How does the life and music of the principal character reflect the issues we’ve examined in relation to that historical phase? • Describe the narrative of the film. How does the story unfold?
Possible movies: • Young Man with a Horn - (1949) (about Bix Beiderbeck) • The Glen Miller Story (1953) • The Benny Goodman Story (1955) • The Five Pennies (1959) (about Red Nichols) • Lady Sings the Blues (1972) (about Billie Holliday) • Round Midnight (1986) (about Dexter Gordon) • Bird (1988) (about Charlie Parker) • The Mambo Kings (1992) (about the Castillo brothers) • Sweet and Lowdown (1999) (about Emmet Ray) • For Love or Country (2001) (about Arturo Sandoval) • Ray (2004) (about Ray Charles) • De-lovely (2004) (about Cole Porter) • El Cantate (2007) (about Hector Lavoe) • Bolden! (2015) (about Buddy Bolden) • Miles Ahead (2016) (about Miles Davis) • Born to be Blue (about Chet Baker)