The Last of the First
The Last of the First
Overview
The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band during its sunset years: 87-year-old Al Casey, who had worked closely with Fats Waller throughout the 1930s; guitarist Lawrence Lucie, 95 years young, from the bands of Louis Armstrong, Benny Carter and Duke Ellington; saxophonist Bubba Brooks, 79, who was with Bill Doggett; Edwin Swanston, 80, pianist with Louis Armstrong's Orchestra; 91-year-old drummer Johnny Blowers, ex-Bunny Berigan, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra; Ivan Rolle, 85, bassist with Jonah Jones; and 88-year-old Laurel Watson, one-time vocalist with Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Baron's cameras record the musicians through their tours and concerts, capturing their joy in performing together. A celebration of the jazz spirit.
Similar
A Letter to Claudette Colvin (2017)
Charlie Parker: Bird Songs (2022)
Diana Krall | Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival (2004)
Keith Jarrett Open Theatre East (1993)
Black Sam's Statue (2015)
How It Breathes (2024)
Don't Fall in Love with Yourself (2022)
Cecil Taylor: All The Notes (2005)
George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute (1937)
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (2019)
Resilience: The Story of Ryan Porter (2025)
Dear Director (2015)
A Film About Kids and Music. Sant Andreu Jazz Band (2013)
The Sound of Seeing (1963)
Louis Armstrong: 100th Anniversary 1901-2001 (2001)
Nina: A Historical Perspective (1970)
Jazz Icons: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Live In '58 (2006)
Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way (2010)
Art Blakey: The Jazz Messenger (1988)
Daybreak Express (1953)

















