PROGRAM NOTE
One day in August 1958, 57 jazz musicians swaying the jazz world of the day got together at a place in Harlem, New York: Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan and so on. They were so many and so great that they all got a surprise at each other¡¯s showing-up, and a photographer, Art Kane, took one photograph including all of them. The photograph was for a special issue of the magazine Esquire titled the ¡®Golden Age of Jazz¡¯ but none of them had expected that the rate of participation would be so high. Director Jean Bach, who has spent her whole life together with jazz, tells the story behind this and the fascinating music of the people in the photo through precious interviews with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rolins and Art Blakey. In addition, the rare footage including bassist Milt Hilton¡¯s daughter, Mona Hinton¡¯s home movies are also worth seeing. Narrated by Quincy Jones, this documentary was nominated for a 1995 Academy Award for Documentary Features.