Doc on the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of archival footage and never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations.
"This definitive...
Doc on the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of archival footage and never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations.
"This definitive documentary, directed by Sacha Jenkins, honors Armstrong's legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador of the United States. The film shows how Armstrong’s own life spans the shift from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, and how he became a lightning rod figure in that turbulent era." (Official Synopsis)
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98 %54 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
79 %34 reviewsAudience score rating
"Like one of Armstrong’s great solos, it feels packed with dynamics, sprinkled with astonishing high notes, and immensely pleasurable."
The Guardian"If Black & Blues returns to the same melody a few too many times, it doesn't diminish the overall achievement..."
RogerEbert.com"The film is a trove of Armstrong’s love of music and his labour."
The New York Times"Jenkins’ lively and provocative documentary Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues takes in the totality of the man..."
Los Angeles Times"Jenkins does the most important thing he could do in Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues: He lets Louis Armstrong be messy."
IndieWire"It's a gripping and essential addition to the historical record..."
NPR"(Armstrong) deserves a deeper contextual exploration. But so much of Black & Blues is glorious..."
Entertainment Weekly"It is a daring work, a worthy and affectionate statement about the most important single figure in American popular music..."
Wall Street Journal"Delightful, provocative and far too short."
Hollywood Reporter"(It) provides a nuanced, sympathetic rebuttal of the crude accusations of Uncle Tom-ism that Armstrong faced."
Financial TimesLouis Armstrong's Black & Blues | Details
- Runtime
- 106
- Genre
- Documentary, Music
- Country of origin
- USA
- Studio
- Apple Original
