Movies Similar to Black February: Music Is an Open Door

Herbie(1966)

Herbie is a short 16mm black and white film by George Lucas and Paul Golding made in 1966 as part of their USC film school course. It is an abstract film with no story and no actors, that graphically depicts the reflections of moving light streaks and light flashes from traffic at night. It is set to a piece of jazz music by Herbie Hancock, whose first name was used for the title.

Jazz Daimyo(1986)

Shipwrecked African-American slaves arrive in the midst of Bakumatsu-era Japan; they soon carve out a niche in the market with their musical talents.

Thelonious Monk Quartet at Salle Pleyel, Paris, 1969(2012)

Thelonious Monk entered a long phase of introspection and cancelled his concert schedule after 1968. He disbanded his quartet with Charlie Rouse, stopped recording for a while, and only performed sporadically. This complete 1969 performance at the famous Salle Pleyel in Paris is one of his last concerts ever with Charlie Rouse. Contents (Paris-Black & White): I Mean You - Ruby, My Dear - Straight, No Chaser - Nutty - Blue Monk - Bright Mississippi - Light Blue - Epistrophy - Don'T Blame Me - 3 O'Clock In The Morning - Interview With Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule With Nellie. Bonus Tracks: Monk Solo in Berlin November 6, 1969 (Color): Sophisticated Lady - Caravan - Solitude. Thelonious Monk-Piano; Charlie Rouse-Tenor Sax; Nate Hygelund-Bass; Paris Wright-Drums; Philly Joe Jones-Drums on 4 and 5 Only.

Harry Connick, Jr.: Harry For The Holidays(2003)

Harry for the Holidays" is both a traditional and musically adventurous Christmas television special, shot in high definition and originally broadcast on NBC in 2003. The unusual yet beautiful setting is the historic interior of the Bowery Savings Building/Cipriani 42nd Street; one can see an occasional car flash by through windows behind Harry Connick Jr. and his Big Band. Connick's program includes holiday standards but his arrangements are novel, cutting against the melodiousness of the likes of "Silver Bells" or "Frosty the Snowman" with edgy strings, sizzling brass, and complex rhythms. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "The Happy Elf" swing like nobody's business, while "Silent Night" shifts from blues to ballad to gospel in a collaboration between Connick, Marc Anthony, and Kim Burrell. Whoopi Goldberg and Nathan Lane turn up for some cute sketches, and there's a bonus: Connick and Burrell doing the lovely "I Pray on Christmas," not seen in the NBC broadcast.

The Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas Special(1993)

Filmed in Hollywood's Pantages Theatre, Harry Connick, Jr. performs several Christmas classics from his first holiday album.

Ray Charles - In Concert(2001)

The name Ray Charles stands for superstar worldwide. He is an icon in the music world, has a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame, a bronze bust enshrined in the Playboy Hall of Fame, and has received fifteen Grammys, the Kennedy Center Honor, and three National Medals of Arts. In his fifty years in the music world, Ray Charles has earned the title "The Legendary Genius of Soul." In this 1999 benefit concert for the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind from the James L. Knight center in Miami, Florida, Ray Charles performs such classics as I Got A Woman, Georgia On My Mind, and his moving rendition of America, The Beautiful. In addition, Charles delights the audience with a saxophone solo and a duet with special guest and Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Diane Schuur.

Diva Janus(2025)

Everyone mentions her when asked who the 1st generation of jazz musicians is in Korea, adding that jazz wouldn't have been continued in Korea if not for her. It's Park Seong-yeon, the musician who ran Korea's first jazz club - Club Janus - and she provided it for other musicians to perform. Diva Janus follows the late Park's footsteps through her past and interviews by her peer musicians.

Body and Soul: An American Bridge(2017)

A documentary about the jazz standard and it's roots in Jewish and African-American culture/

The Blues Brothers(1980)

Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home where he and his brother Elwood were raised.

Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime(2018)

Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.

All You Can Eat(2025)

All You Can Eat is a brief yet captivating short film that highlights the hungry moments shared between Brylee and his partner as they enjoy a sushi date together at Trapper's Sushi.

Louis Armstrong: 100th Anniversary 1901-2001(2001)

A documentary featuring archive footage to celebrate the 100th birth of jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

Jazz Icons: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Live In '58(2006)

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers features what many consider to be one of the fi nest line-ups in the history of jazz—Bobby Timmons (Piano), Jymie Merritt (Bass), Benny Golson (Sax) and the legendary trumpet player, Lee Morgan. Lost for nearly 50 years, this historic 55 minute concert, fi lmed in Belgium in 1958, one month to the day after they recorded their masterpiece Moanin,’ is the only known visual document of this infl uential band who were together for only six months.

Sweet and Lowdown(1999)

In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman.

The Sound of Seeing(1963)

Made on a wind-up Bolex camera, The Sound of Seeing announced the arrival of 21-year-old filmmaker Tony Williams. Based around a painter and a composer wandering the city (and beyond), the film meshes music and imagery to show the duo taking inspiration from their surroundings.

Sting : My Songs au château de Chambord(2022)

Ella Fitzgerald Live in Australia(1960)

Ella Fitzgerald visited Australia back in 1960. Gracefully stepping up to the microphone for the celebrated television event 'The BP Super Show', hosted by musician and entertainer Horrie Dargie, Fitzgerald delivered a mellifluous set of legendary songs in an intimate concert setting at The Embers Nightclub in Toorak Road, South Yarra Victoria. This rarely seen B&W television treat is considered to be one of the earliest audio-visual recordings of the 'First Lady of Song', backed by the smooth sounds of the Lou Levy Quartet. Beside Fitzgerald's performance of 14 memorable Jazz and Blues classics, the program also contains original BP musical interludes and jingles from the Horrie Dargie Quartet.

Taking a Chance on Love: Jane Monheit in Concert(2005)

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Jane Monheit -- an artist whose voice is often compared to that of Diana Krall and Ella Fitzgerald -- delivers a heartfelt set in this memorable 2004 performance filmed live at the Brecon International Jazz Festival in Wales. The evening's mix of standards includes "In the Still of the Night," "Embraceable You," "Bill," "Too Late Now," "Honeysuckle Rose" and "I Should Care."

Miles in Paris 1989

Recorded during the 10th Paris Jazz Festival - 3rd November, 1989 at Le Zenith, Paris, France, with Kenny Garrett, Kei Akagi, Joe "Foley" McCreary, Benny Rietveld, Ricky Wellman, and John Bigham. Also includes interviews with Miles.

Rita Coolidge: On Stage at World Cafe Live(2007)