Does the fate of Black man’s music career still lie in the hands of the Jewish? While dozens augment the anti-Semitic stereotype of Jews controlling the music industry amid lacking respect for its culture, a new documentary debunks the exploitative and capitalistic rhetoric.

‘It must Schwing! The Blue Note’ story unpacks the journey of two German friends with one common goal –– introduce the world to the sound of Black Jazz. The film was directed by Eric Friedler and executive produced by Wim Wenders.

Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff fled from Berlin before the Nazi reign and emigrated to New York. They founded the legendary Blue Note Records label in 1939, which later became one of the most respected recording company’s for contemporary jazz in the country, and they had one hell of a roster to back up the notoriety.

The documentary captured the stories of some of the most influential Jazz musicians and their ties to Blue Note, which felt more like a family reunion. From Herbie Handcock to Quincy Jones to George Benson, the cameos played a key role in reviving the glory days –– well, kind of.

Friedler and Wenders narrated the story with subtle, Jazz cadences over classic, white and black animation resemblant of a French cartoon. The approach presented a buoyant element while exploring the dark history of discrimination, race relations, and inhumanity.

Lion and Wolff were no stranger to racism which caused them both to sympathize with the struggles of the Black musicians signed to their label. They didn’t see color –– all that mattered was the music and how alive it made them feel. Their love for Jazz guided them to take risks on a genre not yet explored.

Wolff frequently took blows to the head every time he ventured into the streets of Harlem to purchase the vibrant notes of Black, Jazz artists. He even chose his love for the genre over his marriage with his first wife, which showed the correlation between the beauty and suffering of Jazz.

His dedication to the art was both disturbing and inspiring. Now, Lion, on the other hand, brought in the same passion but quietly through his camera lens –– photographing candids of the artists is what made the label stand out.

Lion was like a silent assassin –– he didn’t say much but they knew he liked the music by his uncontrollable foot taps, even if he was offbeat the artists noted. His photographs became the artwork for their artist’s iconic album covers. The art was a reflection of the time. Before the spoiled era of Adobe software, there was Reid Miles, who was Blue Note’s graphic designer.

Miles progressive design skills along Lions standout still frames amplified the label’s message. Blue Note was ahead of its time, but, yet still light years behind in terms of revenue. While Lions and Wolff were never in it for the money, their pursuit to give their Black artists a voice wasn’t paying their bills.

Wolff eventually sold Blue Note to Liberty Records in 1965, which was the first time they saw any kind of real income, although it still wasn’t much to brag about.

So what happened to the artists post-acquisition? It left a bit of a cliff hanger for the audience as the documentary concluded. I can only assume there is more to the story, which I give it four stars.

It is worth seeing? Definitely, but be prepared to leave the theater wishing they dug deeper into Blue Note’s overall biography.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” will exclusively return to Regal theatres Tuesday, Feb. 12, for a special 35th anniversary screening. Since his theatre debut in 1984, slasher villain Freddy Kreugerhas become one of the most recognizable faces in horror history. Movie fans can experience his return to the big screen for only $5, exclusively at Regal. Additionally, Regal Crown Club members can also enjoy a $5 soft drink and popcorn combo per ticket purchased.

“We are thrilled to welcome fans to Regal for the 35^th anniversary of this classic horror film,” said Ken Thewes, CMO at Regal. “Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep when watching Freddy return to the big screen! And through our industry-leading Regal Crown Club, members can bring the nightmare to life with exclusive rewards and an incredible concessions deal.”

Regal will feature A Nightmare on Elm Street screenings at participating locations only on Feb. 12. For more information or to purchase $5 tickets, please download the Regal mobile app or visit www.regmovies.com.

Source: PR Newswire

The male members of the hit NBC hospital drama New Amsterdam were in rare form at the finale SCAD’s aTVFest along with the show’s creator David Schulner who penned the show two years ago during America’s downward spiral of healthcare reform.

Supporting cast members Anupam Kher and Jocko Sims (Jarhead) discussed how they were moved by a recent visit to Grady Hospital here in downtown Atlanta. They even invited Grady staff who were pointed out in the audience to a well-deserved round of applause. Unfortunately, the female co-stars weren’t available for the appearance but their precence was definitely felt in the room at the latest episode preview.

aTVFest honored the crew with Best Cast which marked as Jocko Sims acting first award. The whole evening felt like a close knit family gathering due to their undeniable chemistry.

For example, Ryan Eggold who serves as the show frontrunner was the only member of the ensemble who lived in New York while the rest of the cast had to relocate. They teased about going out to dinner and other events without him. Ryan was the only original cast member and was the first to see the script inspired by the book 12 Patients: Life and Death at Bellvue Hospital written by Eric Manheimer. All of the cast expressed gratitude for being able to bring the stories of the underserved to life.

When giving advice to those not yet in the industry, they pointed out David Schulner as a reference of how a solid script attracts great talent. “Everything starts with the script.” And that if you “Write something great the people will come, he said.”

It doesn’t hurt that the show’s casting director is his wife Liz Dean. The talent professed of being in awe of each other and it was easy to see why.
In the Q&A portion when filmmakers were told by Anumpam Kher to make sure to listen to their actors, that skill is the most important. There was also a lively debate about social media which cast member Tyler Labine who plays psychiatrist Dr. Iggy Frome, recently abandoned so he can have more time for his wife and three kids. The cast playfully asked him if he deleted it entirely to which he admitted he did not. When asked about working with actors, Jocko cited the book Friendly Enemies: The Director-Actor Relationship by Delia Salvey as a must read.

The highlight of the Q&A was when a SCAD film student stated that she wanted Anumpam to be in her film and he told her he would. Anumpam has an acting school in India and came to the United States to jump into another world, the Hollywood of the United States a far cry from Bollywood where he’s quite famous. Jocko is delighted to finally play a doctor after 16 years in the game, since he actually at one point considered going to medical school, even putting the symbol for medicine on his high school class ring.

The whole evening was delightful to witness and very educational for those in attendance. Make sure to tune in for the next episode of NBC’s New Amsterdam, Feb. 12 at 10 pm/et.