Musician (2007)
• May 19th, 2007 • 1h 0min
Documentary, Music
Overview
Common sense says you can't make a living in America playing avant-garde improvisational jazz. But Ken Vandermark does it anyway. Among musicians, Vandermark's work ethic is almost mythic. The Chicago reed player has released over 100 albums with nearly 40 ensembles, spends over eight months per year on the road, and lives every other waking moment composing, arranging, performing—and trying to discipline his two hyperactive canines. Though Vandermark was the recipient of a 1999 MacArthur genius grant, he still spends most of his life in smoky clubs and low-budget recording studios, hoping people will plunk down hard-earned cash to hear his wholly non-commercial music. Following the artful cinéma vérité style of the internationally acclaimed Sheriff (Work Series #1), Musician (Work Series #2) forgoes all interviews and voice-overs. It is a fly-on-the-wall time capsule that expertly captures every subtle sound and texture of this most American of art forms.
Make sure to check your pop-up blocker!!
Trailer
Similar Movies
Three of Many
Released on: 1961-12-01
Documentary
Böttchers film showcases three young workers who learn how to paint, draw, and make sculptures out o...
Haus und Hof
Released on: 1980-12-05
Documentary
Agricultural scientist and mother Isolde struggles with the dicrepancies between her personal convi...
Sweet and Lowdown
Released on: 1999-12-03
Comedy, Drama, Music
In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love ...
Font Men
Released on: 2014-03-09
Documentary
You've never heard of Jonathan Hoefler or Tobias Frere-Jones but you've seen their work. They run th...
Ula
Released on: 2023-05-28
Documentary
‘This is the cradle of our beloved music. We need to verify our skills there’, said Michał Urbaniak ...
Tag für Tag
Released on: 1979-11-25
Documentary
36 year old welder Karin works at an agricultural factory in Mecklenburg, Germany.
Lady Sings the Blues
Released on: 1972-10-12
Drama, Music
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic ...
Blues in the Night
Released on: 1941-11-15
Crime, Drama, Music
A struggling band find themselves attached to a fugitive and drawn into a series of old feuds and lo...
Seattle's Bikini Baristas
Released on: 2019-03-24
Documentary
Take a deep dive into the booming, scantily-clad barista coffee shop scene in Seattle where sex sell...
The Bubble
Released on: 2018-07-12
Documentary, History, Comedy
Diving deep into the true causes of the Great Recession, the financial crisis of the 2010s, renowned...
Saxophone Colossus
Released on: 1998-01-01
Music, Documentary
Tenor saxophone master Sonny Rollins has long been hailed as one of the most important artists in ja...
Blood Money: Inside the Nazi Economy
Released on: 2021-02-02
History, War, Documentary, TV Movie
How did Nazi Germany, from limited natural resources, mass unemployment, little money and a damaged ...
Minimum Wages: The New Economy
Released on: 1992-01-08
Documentary
Bill Moyers takes a piercing look at how global economic changes are destroying the lives and liveli...
Chris Botti in Boston
Released on: 2009-03-31
Music
Chart-topping jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and special guests performed two star-studded concerts at t...
Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar
Released on: 1995-01-01
Documentary
This riveting music documentary traces the history of Jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson, from his ear...
The Kitchen
Released on: 1987-03-20
Documentary
This documentary follows a group of women on a typical workday as they prepare meals for a dockyard ...
Putte Wickman à la clarinette
Released on: 1991-01-29
Music, Documentary
Documentary about the Swedish clarinettist Putte Wickman featuring interviews and performances.