Jazz In Film

La Route du Bonheur (The Road To Happiness) is a 1952 film directed by Carlo Mastelli, the young radio presenter of “New Voices” has run short of ideas and his program is likely to be suspended from the radio schedule if he does not find any new ones. He is saved by chance in the person of Marina, a charming young school teacher, who takes advantage of the presence of a radio crew in her village for the recording of a singing contest to broadcast an appeal in favor of Tonino, the most underprivileged of her pupils.

Directors: Carlo Mastelli,Maurice Labro and Giorgio Simonelli

Stars: Georges Guetary, Luis Mariano and Nilla Pizzi

Musical appearances by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra, Sidney Bechet, Claude Luter, Django Reinhardt and Hubert Rostaing.

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Requisites

The Cats: In the Fifties, Tommy Flanagan was one of the most highly valued pianists in jazz. His appearance on record was primarily as a sideman, well appreciated by his fellow musicians but not recognized for their display of his superior abilities by a wider audience.

This album contains a Flanagan trio track “How Long Has This Been Going On?” surrounded with the choice, empathetic soloists as Coltrane, Burrell and Sulieman. It is still a delight to hear their interaction to this day with Tommy and the all-Detroit rhythm section of Doug Watkins and Louis Hayes. Flanagan penned all of the originals on this album.

Personnel: Tommy Flanagan – piano, John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, Idrees Sulieman – trumpet, Kenny Burrell – guitar, Doug Watkins – bass, Louis Hayes – drums

Record date: Hackensack, New Jersey – April 18, 1957

Supervised by: Bob Weinstock

Songs: Minor Mishap; How Long Has This Been Going On; Eclypso; Solacium; Tommy’s Tune

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Jazz In Film

Rhapsody in Blue (1945): Hollywood’s Glamorous Portrait of Gershwin

Directed by Irving Rapper and starring Robert Alda, Joan Leslie, and Alexis Smith, Rhapsody in Blue is Hollywood’s lavish 1945 attempt to capture the life and genius of George Gershwin—one of America’s most beloved composers, who died tragically young at just 38 years old in 1937.

The Hollywood Treatment
As with most biopics of the era, the film takes considerable liberties with historical fact. The story centers on Gershwin as a driven, ambitious composer whose relentless need to succeed comes at a steep personal cost—destroying his relationships with a fictional singer named Julie Adams (Joan Leslie) and an equally fictional socialite Christine Gilbert (Alexis Smith).

These romantic subplots are pure Hollywood invention, designed to give audiences the kind of emotional drama they expected from a major studio production. The real George Gershwin’s personal life was more complex and less cinematically tidy, but Warner Bros. wasn’t particularly interested in documentary accuracy, they wanted a story of artistic genius struggling between ambition and love.

The Music Is the Real Star
What the film does deliver magnificently is Gershwin’s extraordinary music. The soundtrack features selections from his remarkable catalog: the jazz-inflected concert works like the titular “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris,” beloved songs from his Broadway shows and Hollywood films, and glimpses of his ambitious opera Porgy and Bess.

Hearing these works performed in a 1945 film, still relatively close to when they were composed, gives the movie a period authenticity that transcends the fictionalized biography. This is what audiences in the 1940s heard when they thought of Gershwin, presented with the full resources of a major Hollywood studio’s orchestra.

Notable Appearances
The film includes memorable appearances by bandleader Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra—significant because Whiteman commissioned and premiered “Rhapsody in Blue” in 1924, making him an actual part of Gershwin’s story rather than Hollywood invention.

Also featured is the remarkable pianist and singer Hazel Scott, one of the few Black performers given significant screen time in a major Hollywood production of that era. Scott was a genuine virtuoso and a pioneering artist who fought against racial stereotyping in Hollywood—her presence adds both musical credibility and historical significance to the film.

Worth Watching Despite the Liberties
Rhapsody in Blue won’t teach you accurate biographical facts about George Gershwin—for that, you’ll need to read a proper biography. But as a celebration of his music and a snapshot of how Hollywood mythologized its cultural heroes in the 1940s, it remains an entertaining, gorgeously photographed production.

Robert Alda, Alan’s dad, brings charm and intensity to his portrayal of Gershwin, even if the script gives him more romantic angst than the real composer likely experienced. And ultimately, any film that introduces audiences to Gershwin’s genius—however fictionalized the surrounding story, serves a valuable purpose.

For anyone who loves Gershwin’s music or classic Hollywood biopics, Rhapsody in Blue delivers the glamour, the drama, and most importantly, the unforgettable melodies that made George Gershwin an American icon.

Just don’t expect historical accuracy—expect beautiful music wrapped in beautiful Hollywood fantasy.

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Requisites

Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown: When Two Geniuses Met for One Perfect Album

Sometimes magic happens when the right artists meet at exactly the right moment. Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown—originally released simply as Sarah Vaughan in 1954—is one of those rare, lightning-in-a-bottle collaborations that captured two towering talents at their creative peaks.

An Unlikely Pairing That Shouldn’t Have Worked—But Did

On paper, pairing the Grammy Award-winning vocal virtuoso Sarah Vaughan with the brilliant young trumpeter Clifford Brown might have seemed risky. Vaughan’s voice was an instrument unto itself, capable of operatic range, breathtaking improvisation, and emotional depths that could break your heart. Brown, meanwhile, was revolutionizing jazz trumpet with his warm tone, flawless technique, and lyrical approach that suggested both bebop fire and romantic elegance.

Together? Pure alchemy.

A Single Session, An Enduring Legacy

The album was released on the EmArcy label and remains the only collaboration between this extraordinary pair, a tantalizing “what if” for jazz fans who can only imagine what further recordings might have produced. The original release bore only Vaughan’s name, but when reissued, the title was changed to emphasize Brown’s participation, recognizing that this was a true partnership between equals.

Critical Reception and Personal Favorite

The album was well-received upon release, though not without some criticism—as is often the case with ambitious artistic statements that don’t follow predictable formulas. Some critics felt the arrangements were too lush, others wanted more interaction between the two principals. But Vaughan herself had no doubts: this remained her personal favorite among all her recordings through 1980, a remarkable statement from an artist with a discography spanning decades and hundreds of albums.

She knew what she’d captured in that studio—something special, something that transcended the usual vocalist-with-accompaniment formula.

Recognition and Immortality

History has vindicated Vaughan’s judgment. In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, joining the pantheon of recordings deemed “qualitatively or historically significant” and worthy of permanent preservation.

A Bittersweet Postscript

There’s an inevitable sadness knowing this was the only time these two artists recorded together. Just two years after this session, Clifford Brown died in a car accident at age 25, robbing jazz of one of its most promising voices. This album stands as both a celebration of what Brown achieved in his brief life and a poignant reminder of what was lost.

Why It Still Matters

Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown isn’t just a historical artifact or a completist’s curiosity—it’s a masterclass in musical communication. Listen to how Brown’s trumpet seems to converse with Vaughan’s voice, how they finish each other’s musical thoughts, how the space between their phrases breathes with meaning.

This is what happens when two artists at the top of their game truly listen to each other and respond with honesty, generosity, and brilliance.

For anyone who loves vocal jazz, trumpet playing, or simply the sound of two masters making something beautiful together, this album remains essential—a 1954 gift that keeps giving, seven decades later.

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