Connect with us
Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues
Image: TIFF

Film

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues Tells Satchmo’s Whole Story in His Own Words 

TIFF 2022: Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, somehow the first-ever comprehensive documentary about the life and work of the jazz legend, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and it has the absolute perfect director. That’s Sacha Jenkins, the journalist-turned-documentarian who was at TIFF in 2021 with Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James. Now he’s turned his sights on a different musical figure from a different era. 

Jenkins was born the same year, 1971, that Armstrong died, but he shows a profound understanding of the subject matter, including political aspects that are highly relevant decades later. With an Apple TV+ release scheduled for October, Black & Blues is one of the year’s best music documentaries. 

While not quite as buried as the footage that made up last year’s Oscar-winning Summer of Soul, Black & Blues is clearly aiming for something similar. The film draws much of its material from Armstrong’s audio diaries, as well as a huge amount of video footage. And on top of both, there’s all of his great music, which we got to hear much of. 

Louis Armstrong was born at the dawn of the 20th century, in 1900, and ended up one of the most important artists of that century. Known as “Satchmo” and “Pops,” Armstrong both sang and played the trumpet, and was known for such classic songs as “What a Wonderful World,” “Hello Dolly” and “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Armstrong, like Elvis Presley, is associated strongly with multiple cities, including New Orleans (where he was born, and whose airport now bears his name) and New York (where he lived for the last decades of his life), as well as all the many places he played. Rapper Nas, also from Queens, reads some of Armstrong’s writings.

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues

Armstrong was married four times, but it’s his fourth wife and widow, Lucille, who is featured most of all. 

Unsurprisingly, race takes up an outsized role in the story. Armstrong personally integrated all sorts of venues and institutions and insisted on never playing places where he couldn’t stay. He also realized at some point that even the most racist of white people seemed to be fans of his, and the charge is raised off the performer engaging in minstrelsy. 

Later, Armstrong is shown sharing his reluctance to directly participate in civil rights protests, opting to donate his money instead. While he later says that he feared getting hit in the phase could end his career as a trumpet player, a lot of his argument boils down to the Michael Jordan “Republicans buy sneakers too” arguments of decades later. 

More than 50 years after his death, Louis Amstrong’s legacy is ripe for rediscovery by younger generations, and Sacha Jenkins’ astonishing documentary could be the project that does it. 

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues lands on Apple TV+ October 28. 

The 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival takes place from September 8–18Find all our coverage here.

Written By

Stephen Silver is a journalist and film critic based in the Philadelphia area. He is the co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle and a Rotten Tomatoes-listed critic since 2008, and his work has appeared in New York Press, Philly Voice, The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Tablet, The Times of Israel, and RogerEbert.com. In 2009, he became the first American journalist to interview both a sitting FCC chairman and a sitting host of "Jeopardy" on the same day.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Movies About Relationships Movies About Relationships

Hold the Drama! The 50 Best Movies About Relationships

Film

Greatest Grammy Performances of all Time Greatest Grammy Performances of all Time

30 Greatest Grammy Performances of all Time

Culture

Best Valentine's Day Movies Best Valentine's Day Movies

Hold the Drama! The 50 Best Movies About Relationships

Film

Falling-Down film review Falling-Down film review

Joel Schumacher’s Falling Down Poses Some Serious Questions

Film

The Big Lebowski The Big Lebowski

25 Years Later: Aggression Will Not Stand in The Big Lebowski

Film

Army of Darkness movie review Army of Darkness movie review

30 Years Later: Hail to the King Baby! Army Of Darkness is Still Groovy

Film

Martin Scorsese's King of Comedy review Martin Scorsese's King of Comedy review

Rupert Pupkin Lives!: The King of Comedy at 40

Film

The Last of Us Endure and Survive The Last of Us Endure and Survive

The Last of Us Doubles Down on Misery with “Endure and Survive”

TV

Pathaan Pathaan

Pathaan Completes the Westernization of Bollywood

Culture

The Last of Us Left Behind The Last of Us Left Behind

It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye on The Last of Us “Left Behind”

TV

Full Time Laure Calamy Full Time Laure Calamy

Full Time: A Working-Class Mother in Perpetual Motion

Film

Romance And A Wrestling Ring Two Things That Don’t Go Well Together Romance And A Wrestling Ring Two Things That Don’t Go Well Together

Romance And A Wrestling Ring: Two Things That Don’t Go Well Together

Wrestling

Ranking the BEST WWE Elimination Chamber Matches Ranking the BEST WWE Elimination Chamber Matches

Ranking the BEST WWE Elimination Chamber Matches

Culture

Elimination Chamber 2023: Reigns Still Reigns Elimination Chamber 2023: Reigns Still Reigns

Elimination Chamber 2023: Reigns Still Reigns

Wrestling

The Last of Us Kin The Last of Us Kin

The Last of Us Finds a Moment of Peace with “Kin”

TV

Ray Liotta’s 10 best movie roles Ray Liotta’s 10 best movie roles

As He Stars in Cocaine Bear, Remembering Ray Liotta’s 10 Best Movie Roles 

Film

Connect