Jammin' the Blues

Jammin' the Blues is a 1944 short film in which several prominent jazz musicians got together for a filmed jam session. It features Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry Edison, Marlowe Morris, Sid Catlett, Barney Kessel, Jo Jones, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet, Marie Bryant, Archie Savage and Garland Finney. Barney Kessel is the only white performer in the film. He was seated in the shadows to shade his skin, and for closeups, his hands were stained with berry juice. 

Lester Young, as portrayed in the Robert Altman film, Kansas City (1996)

The film was directed by Gjon Mili. Producer Gordon Hollingshead was nominated for an Academy Award for this footage in the category of Best Short Subject, One-reel. The cinematography is by Robert Burks, the director of photography on many of Alfred Hitchcock’s films, including North by Northwest and Vertigo.

In 1995, Jammin' the Blues was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

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