Bob Koester will screen films from his jazz film collection at Jazz Record Mart, 444 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, beginning Saturday Feb. 3rd 2001 at 1:00 PM.
The screening schedule is: ( All Saturdays at 1:00 PM)
Feb. 3rd - DUKE ELLINGTON - On the Road With Duke
Feb. 10th - BIG BAND SWING - Basie, Ellington and Lunceford
Feb. 17th - 24th - (hiatus - no screenings)
March 3rd - Can you really get enough of CAB CALLOWAY - from '31 to '51 w. Doc Cheatham, Jonah Jones
March 10th -BIG BAND BOP - Billie Eckstine w. Gene Ammons, Frank Wess Art Blakey, Benny Green and JIVIN' IN BEBOP w. Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Kenny Clark ('47)
March 17th - LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND BILLIE HOLIDAY - New Orleans w. Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, Red Callendar, Zutty Singleton plus Meade "Lux" Lewis and Woody Herman Orch. (45 + minutes of music clips from the 1947 feature)
March 24th -- DUKE ELLINGTON -- Something About Believing
March 31st -- LOUIS JORDAN -- Beware!
April 7th -- Hoofers: Tap, lindy, and other jazz dances.
April 14th -- chicago blues -- Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, J.B. Hutto, etc.
April 21st -- Charlie Barnet, Benny Carter, Nat King Cole
April 28th -- Big Bands Galore
Thereafter - Watch this space for more listings. . .
After watching the Ken Burns documentary on jazz, Bob realized that his collection includes at least half the films which Burns excerpted, and that many of his prints are in better condition. 'This inspired me to begin a film series at my store," Mr. Koester said. "Showing the performances at full length will supplement the clips shown in the Burns' documentary and feature Ellington, Basie, Billie Eckstine, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday." Koester has set up a projection booth in the performance area at his store.
Koester began collecting jazz films while still in high school in Wichita, Kansas in the 1940's. He worked after school at a camera shop in Wichita where he bought an RCA sound projector. "I started out buying 'soundies' the films made for movie jukeboxes, featuring such musicians as Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Wingy Manone, and Stan Kenton." Since that time, Koester has managed to acquire many rare prints. He has provided source material for Schanachie Video, loaned films to Don Mc Glynn for his documentary on juke box movies and helped numerous other documentary film makers with their projects, particularly featuring blues artists.