Details

Eric Friedler | Germany | 1:53:21 | 2019
English, German with English Subtitles

IT MUST SCHWING! is the story of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, two young German Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler and reinventing themselves in New York as jazz record producers of the legendary Blue Note Records label in 1939. At a time when African-Americans faced legalized discrimination and segregation, Blue Note Records broke new ground by engaging with the artists as equal partners, ultimately becoming a subtle but significant player in the struggle for civil rights. Featuring living jazz greats as Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter among many others, IT MUST SCHWING! THE BLUE NOTE STORY also includes rare archival footage of past masters such as John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk. Using animation, the film brings to life behind the scenes moments with these visionary producers who recognized the significance of the new music – and helped the rest of the world catch on.

Cast
Herbie Hancock
Sonny Rollins
Quincy Jones
Wayne Shorter
Ron Carter
Sheila Jordan
Lou Donaldson
Kenny Burrell
Rudy van Gelder

Writer
Eric Friedler
Silke Schütze

Producer
Wim Wenders