Jazz on Film and TV: best of 2020

A pretty good year for jazz on film and TV in 2020 against all odds. The Eddy wasn't just the best thing on a jazz theme to come along this year but nothing has come close in a decade, when the early episodes of Treme dazzled in 2010. Ma Rainey …

Published: 26 Dec 2020. Updated: 51 days.

the-eddy-netflix-stills-trailer.jpg

A pretty good year for jazz on film and TV in 2020 against all odds. The Eddy wasn't just the best thing on a jazz theme to come along this year but nothing has come close in a decade, when the early episodes of Treme dazzled in 2010. Ma Rainey came pretty close and certainly had a better score. The best documentary of the year was easily Ronnie's, the love letter to the talismanic Soho club. As for Sing it Loud this worked well for its choice of performances and fine presentation. Soul just out is the animated choice. Last time an animated jazz themed film caught my imagination was Chico & Rita a decade ago. I still think back to that film with a lot of affection. I'm still undecided if Soul is its equal. SG

5 Soul

4 Sing it Loud: Black and Proud

3 Ronnie's

2 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

1 The Eddy

Julie (Amandla Stenberg) and Elliot (André Holland), top, in The Eddy. Photo: Netflix

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Want to get funked up? New Year's Eve Ronnie Scott's stream coming up and atcha

Climbing the walls at home underwhelmed once again by the prospect of uncle Jools Holland's annual hootenanny on the telly, the thought of logging-in for the Funky Nation party stream live from Soho jazz shrine Ronnie Scott's on New Year's Eve is …

Published: 23 Dec 2020. Updated: 3 years.

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Climbing the walls at home underwhelmed once again by the prospect of uncle Jools Holland's annual hootenanny on the telly, the thought of logging-in for the Funky Nation party stream live from Soho jazz shrine Ronnie Scott's on New Year's Eve is very much more like it. Hosted by DJ Mike Vitti, a regular down in Frith Street over many years, expect old school jazz-funk, rare groove, Vitti's own particular kind of boogie and yards of funky house. Kicks off half-an-hour before midnight on 31 December via the Ronnie's site.