The Last of the First

Ask any member of the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band about calling it quits and you’ll hear the same answer: "Retirement can kill you." One of the longest running jazz groups in history, its legendary musicians — whose ages run as high as 95 — include Fats Waller’s guitarist, Louis Armstrong’s pianist, and Frank Sinatra’s drummer. Full of humour, empathy, and verité-style caprice, this exceptional documentary is no nostalgic stroll. Rather, filmmaker Anja Baron finds these performers hard at work, rustling up gigs, and touring everywhere from Mexico to Sweden to Russia. This is a reverent and emotional look at living history that delivers captivating insights and anecdotes from many of jazz’s earliest pioneers.