The Last of the First

IMDb 0.0 2004 • 88 min • Documentary

Director

Anja Baron

Country

Plot Summary

The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band during its sunset years: 87-year-old Al Casey, who had worked closely with Fats Waller throughout the 1930s; guitarist Lawrence Lucie, 95 years young, from the bands of Louis Armstrong, Benny Carter and Duke Ellington; saxophonist Bubba Brooks, 79, who was with Bill Doggett; Edwin Swanston, 80, pianist with Louis Armstrong's Orchestra; 91-year-old drummer Johnny Blowers, ex-Bunny Berigan, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra; Ivan Rolle, 85, bassist with Jonah Jones; and 88-year-old Laurel Watson, one-time vocalist with Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Baron's cameras record the musicians through their tours and concerts, capturing their joy in performing together. A celebration of the jazz spirit.

Top Cast

Albert Vollmer
Albert Vollmer himself
Joey Morant
Joey Morant himself
Bobby Pring
Bobby Pring himself
Bubba Brooks
Bubba Brooks himself
Edwin Swanston
Edwin Swanston himself