Cootie Williams

Documentary portrait of the legendary jazz bandleader. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 2000.

Documentary reminiscence of the late jazz bandleader Duke Ellington. Shot in 1968, this footage includes the previously unreleased "Mexican Suite" plus all the Ellington classics including "Satin Doll," "Mood Indigo," "Black and Tan Fantasy," and "Take the A Train" plus interviews with band members, film sequences which featured Ellington and his band and other exclusive footage.

Joined by the likes of saxophonist Ben Webster and trumpeter Cootie Williams, jazz giant Duke Ellington demonstrates in this collection of performance clips (spanning the years 1929-43) precisely why he's one of the seminal figures in American music. Ellington's musical evolution can be seen in excerpts from feature-length and short films that include Black and Tan, Check and Double Check, Symphony in Black and The Hit Parade of 1937.

Profile of Duke Ellington featuring performances and interviews with the legendary bandleader. The performance footage was recorded in a number of places from The Basin St. West Jazz Club, the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival, and his first Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral. This program was described by Ellington in his autobiography as the best film about Duke Ellington ever made...