The film “Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes”, which will be shown on Saturday (January 23rd, 2021) from 9:55 pm on 3sat, tells the story of two German jazz fans in America.
- The film „Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes“ runs on Saturday (23.01.2021) 3sat.
- It’s about a legendary one Jazz-Label in the USA.
- In documentation are among others historical stage appearances to see.
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Mainz – As Alfred Lion Born on April 21, 1908 in Schöneberg, at that time still a town on the outskirts of Berlin, his name was Alfred Löw; one of his childhood friends was the Berliner Frank Wolff. Alfred became a competent music listener in Berlin’s roaring twenties, Frank became a photographer. Both loved the young one Jazz, and both fled Nazi Germany at different times and on different routes in the 1930s. In 1939 they met in New York again and founded what is still legendary Jazz-Label Blue Note.
The story of Sophie Huber’s film begins here „Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes“, which will open on Saturday (23.01.2021) from 9:55 p.m. 3sat runs, tells. He tells of two jazz fans who are making an (anti-racist) American dream come true, even though they are not native Americans and never lose their funny German accent. He tells of a German who has a clear idea of how Jazz should sound and who manage to find the right people together and create a unique record label. And from a man who as Photographer creates a special aesthetic of the cover design that the Marke Blue Note is extremely beneficial.
“Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes” on 3sat: The focus is on ideas from music
The film „Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes“ on 3sat also tells of the gradual emancipation of Afro-American musicians and of the role that Lion and Wolff played in it. The musicians featured in the film are all black, and Blue Note has been an institution from the start African American community. This was mainly because black musicians at other record companies had difficulty playing their own music. Record companies wanted (and want to) sell records; Blue Note too, but the main focus was on the artists and theirs Ideas about music.
Sophie Huber’s documentation „Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes“ (3sat) mixes film sequences from historical stage performances and studio sessions with stills from old times and with statements from younger musicians. You can see and hear the heroes of Jazz like Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane and others. One hears outrageous stories from American racism, and you can be amazed to hear how musicians from the older days talk about music. The younger people sound very different when they are over HipHop and Samplings talk about their ambivalent relationships with old jazz
“Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes” (3sat): Jazz label is sold
Because top sellers in the Jazz are not too common and Blue Note was not primarily interested in hits, there were always economic problems in the house. In 1965 they lead Lion and Wolff to sell the company – to them Record label Liberty and with the stipulation to remain in the management. Lion left this post soon, Wolff died in 1971. Liberty was already on United Artists which was bought in 1979 by EMI which discontinued Blue Note.
Under the umbrella of Capitol and with the manager Bruce Lundvall 1985 a re-establishment and reorientation: In addition to the huge backlist, hip-hop is now on the program and artists * such as Norah Jones, Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire and many others. Hits are no longer frowned upon. Blue Note has never been something for purists.
“Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes”: Changes in the Afro-American Community
At the same time, you learn from the documentary „Blue Note Records – Beyond the Notes“ on 3sat between the images and statements shown (if it were a text, one would say “between the lines”) there is also something about changes in the African American community in the field of tension between culture and commerce. (Hans-Jürgen Linke)
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