Great Day in Harlem

UPC: 014381303520

Studio: Homevision

Summary: A Great Day in Harlem is a wonderful documentary about a seemingly ho-hum subject -- the taking of a photograph. Even when the photograph in question involves some of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived, building a film around a static subject like a photograph is not an easy task. Jean Bach's achievement lies in making this come brilliantly alive; indeed, there's a surprising buoyancy and a sprightliness to the entire enterprise that makes the film unique. True, there's a great deal of information that is imparted -- delightful little tidbits such as Maxine Sullivan having a gift for remembering even the most obscure of lyrics, or that asking Thelonious Monk (who wore a light-colored jacket to make sure he stood out in the picture) a question meant one would get a remarkably frank and truthful answer -- but what one remembers after viewing Great Day is not the various facts presented, or even the personalities of those discussed and/or interviewed. What one remembers is the feeling of joyful immediacy that the film evokes, truly making the viewer feel as if he or she were actually there in Harlem on the day in question. There are a number of complaints one could have about the film (such as the flatness of the lighting and the subsequent dullness of some of the shots), but the little flaws seem truly miniscule in comparison with that wonderful feeling. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Category: Visual Arts [nf]

Awards: Best Documentary Feature – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: "Art Kane" featurette
"Bill Charlap and Kenny Washington" featurette
"Copycat Photos" featurette
"Stories from the Making of A Great Day in Harlem" featurette
Liner notes by Whitney Balliett
2nd disc includes almost three hours of new video profiles of all of the musicians involved in the photograph

Great Day in Harlem

Format: DVD

Release Date: 01/03/2006

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 60 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English

Region: Universal Compatability

Chapters: Disc #1 -- A Great Day in Harlem
1. Mutual Respect [1:06]
1. Individuality [1:40]
1. Jazz and Race [1:05]
1. About Bill [2:16]
1. About Kenny [1:58]
1. Learning From Listening [2:17]
1. Women [3:25]
1. Dizzy Gillespie: Teacher [1:45]
1. Dizzy Gillespie: Player [1:56]
1. Blakey Academy [1:39]
1. Jo Jones: Art of Brushes [2:41]
1. Johnny Griffin: "Way Before Trane" [:53]
1. Not Just Big Names [2:36]
1. Epilogue [:22]
1. Esquire Shoot [4:27]
2. Legendary Strides [5:29]
3. Early Call [7:56]
4. Idols & Contemporaries [10:57]
5. Loading the Film [10:13]
6. Surrendering to the Art [8:12]
7. The Magic Moment [10:55]
8. End Titles [1:25]

Cast and Crew: Gerry Mulligan  Actor 
Marian McPartland  Actor 
Milt Hinton  Actor 
Sonny Rollins  Actor 
Art Blakey  Actor 
Dizzy Gillespie  Actor 
Jonah Jones  Actor 
Buck Clayton  Actor 
Charles Mingus  Actor 
Cab Calloway  Actor 
Quincy Jones  Actor 
Hank Jones  Actor 
Art Farmer  Actor 
Thelonious Monk  Actor 
Mona Hinton  Actor 
Ernie Wilkins  Actor 
Count Basie  Actor 
Hezekiah Leroy Gordon "Stuff" Smith  Actor 
Jean Bach  Director 
Jean Bach  Producer 
Jean Bach  Screenwriter 
Susan Peehl  Screenwriter 
Matthew Seig  Screenwriter 

Country: USA