November 2015
NW Film Forum Presents “Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life”
From the 1940s to the 1960s, Billy Strayhorn was one of the forces behind the sound of the renowned Duke Ellington Orchestra. Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life tells the story of this pioneering African American composer, arranger and pianist. Strayhorn helped produce a body of work that has no rival in originality and range – from unforgettable tunes and jazz melodies to orchestral suites and soundtracks. He was the sole composer of many classic compositions, including the Ellington theme song, “Take…
Find out more »October 2017
King of Jazz Film
King of Jazz film photo still courtesy of NBC Universal. Buy Now $12 adult $9 children, students and seniors $7 Northwest Film Forum members New digital restoration! Part of the Earshot Jazz Festival A grandiose revue classic, starring Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, the Russell Markert girls (later to become the Rockettes), and featuring two notable firsts: Bing Crosby’s first film appearance, and the first cartoon sequence ever animated in Technicolor. Bouncing freely between musical numbers, narrative, and dazzling dance…
Find out more »Mary Lou Williams: The Lady who Swings the Band
Mary Lou Williams photo by W. Eugene Smith/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. Buy Now $12 adult $9 children, students and seniors $7 Northwest Film Forum members Mary Lou Williams was a leading musical innovator determined to create in a world that only saw her race or gender. She was ahead of her time; a genius. During an era when Jazz was the nation’s popular music, Mary Lou Williams was one of its greatest innovators. As both a pianist and composer,…
Find out more »November 2018
Earshot Jazz Fesitval :: FILM :: A Tuba to Cuba
Buy Now $12 General Admission; $9 Student/Senior; $7 NWFF Member This documentary traces the journey of the New Orleans music group, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, as they explore their Cuban roots. In Cuba, the band deep dives into musical traditions that gave rise to New Orleans music and along the way engages with some of Cuba’s present day masters of music. As the filmmakers express it, “a Tuba to Cuba celebrates the triumph of the human spirit expressed through the universal…
Find out more »September 2019
Film: In Her Hands-Key Changes in Jazz
Ingrid Jensen photo by Daniel Sheehan. Tickets Women have been on the Jazz scene since the beginning, yet they are still fighting the same obstacles they were 20 and 50 years ago. In Her Hands explores the current issues and how women around the US are fighting for auditions, creating opportunities and being role models for young musicians today. Through concert footage and poignant interviews of women jazz musicians from across the country, including Ingrid Jensen, Sherrie Maricle, and Amy…
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