Sarah Vaughan & Friends – Swing Era
Picture:
C- Sound: C- Extras: D Shorts: B
Before
Music Videos and the advent of television, there were many attempts to do music
films outside of full-length Musicals and even shorts. The Sarah
Vaughan & Friends – Swing Era DVD features 21 short works and we have
listed them as follows with extra detail:
1)
You’re Mine You (Studio Films/Studio Telescripts
#8201, 1951, 3:34) – The copyright year was too muddy to read, as the print is
not in the best of shape. But it is part of this early group. It is a fine on screen and vocal performance
by Vaughan with a set backdrop, though it
was originally shot in color, this is monochrome.
2)
The Nearness Of You (Snader Telescripts #8202, 1951)
– This sues the same set as the previous track, but is in color as it was shot.
3)
You’re Not The Kind (Snader #8203, 1951) – This work
also survives in color, but offers Vaughan indoors with piano accompaniment
heading off an in-house band.
4)
These Things I Offer (Snader, 1952) – Another work
shot in color, but sadly here in black and white, one possibility is that some
of these are TV prints, as color TV had not happened yet. Another is that these are copies off of old
reel-to-reel videotape or an early cassette of some format that was not capable
of color.
5)
Perdido (Snader #8205, 1951) – This is
another in-house number that survives in color, if a bit faded or aged like the
others.
6)
Boogie Woogie Dream – This piece offers Lena Horne
with Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and the Teddy Wilson Orchestra in black and
white. It begins with Horne and company
working as help in a jazz club, when The Wilson Orchestra shows up and we get a
music fantasy sequence. The piece begins
with a narrative of a white couple out at night, then shifts to Horne and
company. Horne was a natural in front of
the camera. This runs roughly 12
minutes.
7)
The Man I Love – One of Horne’s signature songs
has her standing in front of a big band.
This is black and white from one of the blurriest sources on the DVD.
8)
Saint Louis Blues –
Alfred N. Sack’s Sack Amusement Enterprises produced the piece featuring the
legendary Bessie Smith from 1929! It is
with amusement and clarification to note that it was made at the Gramercy
Studios of R.C.A. Photophone, Inc., but that Gramercy has no relation to the
brief movie production company co-run by Universal and Philips/Polygram a few
years ago. Walter Strenge shot the
Dudley Murphy-directed piece in black and white with a narrative that is on the
racist/stereotypical side, which is sadly the case from most works
African-American performers were trapped in at the time. Running roughly 15 minutes, only Smith’s work
at the end with the James P. Johnson Orchestra and backing vocals matters and
what an incredible voice the legendary Smith has!
9)
Paradise In Harlem – Mamie Smith only track here is
in front of a full orchestra, namely the Lucky Millner Orchestra. shot in
monochrome in 1940.
10) Kentucky Man Blues – Ida Cox sings this song and……
11) Fore Day Creep -
…both in front of the same pianist, if different outfits. Both are in monochrome. Both are from 1947 and feature accompaniment
specifically by Jessie Crump.
12) Quicksand – Ethel Waters is joined by Count
Basie in this number from the 1943 Frank Borzage film Stage Door Canteen, a WWII set film in monochrome.
This
final set is by The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-female
Jazz/Blues band:
13) She’s Crazy With The Heat (instrumental)
14) That Man Of Mine (vocal)
15) Jump Children (vocal)
16) This track is unknown, but it is
an instrumental.
17) How
About That Jive (vocal)
18) I Left My Man (vocal)
19) This track is also unknown, but is
also an instrumental.
20) Don’t
Get it Twisted (instrumental)
21) Just The
Thing (instrumental)
The final
section featured Anna Mae Winburn and Tiny Davis.
The full
frame image is varied, but the picture is often degraded form barely surviving,
but I give credit to Idem for doing their best to show these as clearly as
possible these landmark works. Some are
in color and others are black & white, though some look to have been
originally in color and only survive monochrome. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono also varies, from
hot and hissy to slightly compressed.
The Western Electric logos indicate optical mono sound on some of the
film reels. There are no extras.
Despite
any technical problems or source limitations, these are vital works that have
been remarkable captured on film and survived.
This is an archival Jazz/Blues collection that shows just how vital and
important women always were and are to both music genres, not to mention their
long-reaching influences. Swing Era offers key moments form some
of the most important music performers of the 20th Century and, in
effect, of all time. This is impressive
music that has endured, bears repeat playing and everyone should get their
hands on.
- Nicholas Sheffo
