The documentary “Masters of Jazz: the Soundtrack of American History,” gives audiences the long, intricate history of an American art form in a digestible and, at times, adorable way.
Jazz has existed for more than 100 years and, while it’s impossible to tell it all, ‘Masters of Jazz’ does a great job of laying a strong foundation on jazz history.
Throughout the 35-minute documentary, young students of Jazz Angels, Inc. narrate the history of the genre from the late 1800s to the early 1990s, then perform pieces from its most influential artists. At times, the students speak quickly and are hard to follow, but this is minimal and there are many interesting anecdotes to glean.
[sidebar title=””Masters of Jazz: the Soundtrack of American History”” align=”right” background=”on” border=”all” shadow=”on”]4 STARS OUT OF 5
DIRECTOR: Angel Orellana
STAR: Students of Jazz Angels, Inc.
MPAA Rating: Not rated
Runtime: 35 minutes
PLAYING AT: Will stream for free on Jazz Angels, Inc. website (http://www.jazzangel.org) starting Jan. 19.
[/sidebar]The documentary also touches on cultural shifts and world events in art, human rights and politics that shaped each style of jazz. By making those connections, like the influence of Cubist art on “bebop” style jazz, viewers see the seemingly random evolution of styles more clearly.
It’s meant as an educational documentary on jazz but the performances and student voices give it the feel of a school play. This pulls on the heartstrings of the viewer and brings an approachable charm to what could be a bland history lesson.
Jazz Angels students also demonstrate some acting chops at the beginning, portraying three musicians who all claimed to have invented jazz during the 1890s. Special effects make a brief but charming appearance to give the child playing musician Jelly Roll Morton his signature diamond-studded tooth.
Humor during the Jelly Roll Morton scene and future narrations comes across clearly. The script includes small quips that play off of the dry and sarcastic delivery of the students making the documentary as informative as it is light-hearted.
Program Coordinator Barry Jay Cogert wrote the script and sought out the help of filmmaker Angel Orellana of Angelic Image Studios to direct.
Cogert introduced the film during its premier at the Art Theatre of Long Beach on Sunday. The Jazz Angels plan to stream the video free to schools in the Long Beach Unified School District and on the organization’s website.
The film is the brainchild of Jazz Angels, Inc., a nonprofit public benefit organization from Signal Hill, California. They are made up of amateurs and professionals educating children on jazz music and appreciation.
According to Cogert, Jazz Angels, Inc. was born out of a need for a place where kids can explore their creativity through playing jazz. Cogert said he soon discovered other benefits the children gained through the program including higher grades and more confidence.
“[Students] became more confident as a whole person,” Cogert said. “They’re embracing the fact that it’s okay to make a mistake and realizing that the mistake could actually be something really cool.” Cogert said.
The evolution of the students’ development Cogert spoke about mimics what the documentary teaches viewers about the beginnings of jazz. It began with people picking up instruments they were given or came across and started figuring out something new.
So, although the performances in “Masters of Jazz” came from skilled children, it’s not relevant to judge if they performed perfectly or not.
Like the beginnings of musicians like Jelly Roll Morton or Louis Armstrong, students embraced their vibrant melodies and their mistakes to make something cool. They succeeded.
“Masters of Jazz: the Soundtrack of American History” will be available for streaming from the Jazz Angels, Inc. website starting Jan. 19.