Last night in my Honors seminar on Popular Music and Society, I showed the class Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer which has to be among the greatest documentary biographies of an artist that I've ever seen. It doesn't just have a great subject, but is put together in such a way as to replicate something of the improvisation and rhythms associated with a great jazz song. Somewhat to my surprise (and delight) the students really liked it too (it's always a crap-shoot when I try to expose them to something outside of their comfort zone) and we had a great discussion about Miss O'Day and women in music generally. Here's a clip that was also included in the movie, a performance of "Honeysuckle Rose" from about 1963:
So glad to hear young people are being turned onto
ReplyDeleteAnita. It was my great hope making the film that others
Would discover her throughout film. Art and artist
Thanks for
Sharing with your students.
Ian McCrudden
Director/Producer
Ian