December 5, 2022, Bryant Park Hotel, Manhattan, NY – On the evening of December 5th, a room full of media writers and press professionals filled the intimate screening room at the Bryant Park Hotel in Manhattan to view the October 28th, release of An Apple Original Film, Louis Armstrong’s: Black & Blues. The penetrative documentary on the life of Jazz Trumpeter and Vocalist, Louis Armstrong, was directed and produced by Sacha Jenkins; co-produced by Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Julie Anderson and Executively Produced by Brian Grazer, Michele Anthony and David Blackman.
The documentary film, Louis Armstrong: Black & Blues, takes the audience on a journey that highlights the life of the world renowned talent, soloist, jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong, more affectionately known as “Satchmo” the Ambassador. For those who did not know, Louis received this derivative of his original nickname ‘satchel mouth’, a term he picked up from the way his lips cradled the mouthpiece of his trumpet. In the early 1930’s on a trip overseas to Britain, Melody Maker magazine editor, Percy Brooks, mispronounced the nickname he likely acquired while researching Louis’ musical career and accidentally called him,”Satchmo” in his greeting. For Louis, the father of scat and one of the most influential musicians in history, it phonetically made sense and he held tight to his colleague’s “bloop” (and the blip) for his namesake.
The tokens this documentary film offers to the audience are deposited that way. Archival footage and never before heard private conversations reveal the impassioned side of the musical prodigy that most never knew existed. The film uncovers the mystery behind the ever-seen-grinning, “What A Wonderful World” singer. Presented in the film are photos, with names, with dates, with detailed stories from his life, and short reflective segments in the form of letters narrated by one of my favorite living hip hop legends Nasir “Nas” Jones. Those who met and coincided with the beloved Louis Armstrong, helped to trace the outline of Armstrong’s past with lost footage; pulling from the roots of his humble upbringing in New Orleans, his natural inclination to work hard and hustle for every cent he earned, regardless of the social climate; to his discovery and exploration of music as a calling; his exposure to racism and its impacts on him professionally and psychologically; and his peaceful transition in his Corona, New York home, in 1971.
Hectah Arias, the art director on the film, does a remarkable job storyboarding the narration of Armstrong’s story, visually. Parallel to Louis’s freedom of expression, the visual art unfolds, echoing the likeness of a moving collage on screen. The brilliance of the visual design in the film shines through with the usage of reels, the placement of diagrams, excerpts and sound clips inspired by the musician, who intuitively knew that he would need to record the events of his life for future generations to build on. Whether hobby or heightened awareness, the prolific Louis clipped and saved parts of news articles, concert and show bills; or wrote by hand, the state of affairs of the world and the internal dialogue he often chose not share publicly until the latter parts of his life. Louis knew his influence and wielded his power with skill and tact, even to the detriment of the reputation he held within his community during the civil rights movements when he opted out of protest to “play his horn,” instead.
Another great feature in this documentary is that it is jam packed with detailed information to support the points it claims. For example, Louis Armstrong being considered the pioneer of modern Jazz music; the directors strategically place an archived clip of a media journalist explaining the intricate composition of Jazz music in a simplified way. He explains what made Louis Armstrong’s technique ahead of its time and explains the ways in which Louis weaved his instrumentation and vocals between notes. His mastery of the art form had not been done, or at least documented before with such wide reaching appeal or visibility.
At the end of the film, before the cocktails and the hors d’oeuvres, Directors Sacha Jenkins and Sara Bernstein participated in a live Q&A where the audience members were able to ask questions about the film, the inspiration behind the making of the documentary and learned more about the directors’ experience working on this project as a collaborative team. To our surprise, Director and Producer, Sacha Jenkins shared a paranormal encounter he and the crew had while visiting the home of the late Louis Armstrong and credited the “phantom spinning record” as a blessing and sign off from Armstrong himself, that he had his hand in the retelling of his life through his art.
What I love most about this film is that it is subtly educational and it offers more insight beyond the life of the man. As a music lover, I’ve always wanted to appreciate Jazz on a fundamental level and I was offered that opportunity to comprehend the genre through Louis Armstrong’s documentary. I applaud the film for educating me as a viewer on the historic events surrounding his career setbacks, such as him encountering legal troubles for marijuana possession or the legal ramifications he faced for participating in a hometown parade in blackface. For many years, I thought it to be a prejudiced joke that African Americans were depicted by this character in movies. I was further taken aback when I learned that its creation was to incorporate black characters into tv & film stories without needing to hire minority actors and actresses for the roles. This troubling realization was triggering and illustrated the aspects of Louis Armstrong’s career that he silently endured having to perform in hotels he was not even allowed to eat in, sleep in or relieve himself in. However, his tenacity and ability to maintain his composure and fill the world with his freedom in song spoke volumes of him as a human being; one that was able to leave behind a beautiful legacy for his community and the world at large.
I highly recommend the film, Louis Armstrong’s: Black & Blues, for anyone that’s intrigued by splendid visuals on screen; those interested in exploring and understanding the origin of Jazz music; and peeking beyond the veil of one of the biggest influencers in American music culture, the polished yet animated Trumpeter, Louis Armstrong. What a wonderful film!
