The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith

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08/19/2020 This was a perfect document of a magical time and place. I guess that's the ultimate goal of every documentary, but this one truly succeeded. Every frame was like a beautiful photograph. That's what happens when the film is mostly about photojournalist W.Eugene Smith and his time living in and documenting a loft building in NYC (821 6th avenue) between 1957-1965. Next door, dozens of jazz musicians would play together night after night until the sun rose. The whole thing was captured with still photos, film and audio by Smith including a three week period with Monk while he prepped for his 1959 concert at Town Hall with Hall Overton. He recorded 4000 hours of audio tape and took 40,000 photographs in the Jazz Loft. It wasn't all magic as it covered the bad stuff too - heroin use, family strife, the state of the world at the time. This film was stunning. If you appreciate NYC in the 50s, this is a lovely snapshot. 9/10 🎷📷Wow. See more 06/01/2019 I loved it. It gives an inside view of the creation of one of Monk's finest albums, as well as profiles of other great artists and musicians who practiced their craft in this building. Wonderful stuff. The film doesn't sugar coat anything either. Had I been in NYC during this time, I would have gone to this place as often as I could. See more 08/29/2018 Great movie about New York in the 60's and the music and art scene. Loved how it told the story with photos and only live action was interviews. See more 08/04/2017 Well put together documentary that transforms you right into the feel of NY in the 50s-60s See more Read all reviews

The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith

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