Film Series

ROCK 'N' ROLL in the Fall at the NATION'S LIBRARY

Curated by Norman Middleton, Music Division

Monday evenings at 7:00 pm from November 6 - December 4/ No tickets required. Limited seating.
Mary Pickford Theater, 3rd Floor, James Madison Building. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given screening. Call (202) 707-5677 during business hours. Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before show time, after which standbys will be admitted. Programs subject to change without notice.

November 6
AMERICAN HOT WAX (1978) directed by Floyd Mutrux
The story of famed Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced the music genre called
"rock ‘n' roll" to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950s. Freed was a source of great controversy: criticized by conservatives for corrupting youth with the "devil's music"; hated by racists for promoting African American music for white consumption; persecuted by law enforcement officials and finally brought down by the "payola" scandals.
(1 hour, 30 minutes)

November 13
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964) directed by Richard Lester
Fresh from their historic debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles in this Academy Award-nominated film offer fans a peek into "a day in the life" of the Fab Four. The film serves as an inspiration for today's music video format. Songs featured include "I'll Cry Instead," "A Hard Day's Night," "I Should've Known Better," "Can't Buy Me Love," "If I Fell," "And I Love Her," "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)," "Tell Me Why," "Don't Bother Me," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "All My Lovin'," and "She Loves You." (1 hour, 27 minutes)

November 20
THE T.A.M.I. SHOW (1965) directed by Steve Binder
Hosted by Jan and Dean. This rollicking film—the acronym stands for "Teenage Music International"—features Chuck Berry, James Brown, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye with the Blossoms, Lesley Gore, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Barbarians and others. Watch for a teenage Terri Garr as a go-go dancer! (2 hours)

November 27
MONTEREY POP (1968) directed by D. A. Pennebaker
From San Francisco's "Summer of Love" comes Eric Burdon and the Animals, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish, Simon & Garfunkel, the Jefferson Airplane, the Mamas & the Papas, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, and Ravi Shankar. (1 hour, 18 minutes)

December 4
GIMME SHELTER (1970) directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin
This film examines the controversial, free December 1969 concert in Northen California by the Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane, where the Hell's Angels acted as "security guards." Havoc ensues as the Angels lose control of themselves and the spectators. (1 hour, 30 minutes)

JAZZ in the SPRING at the NATION'S LIBRARY

Curated by Larry Appelbaum, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division

All programs are free, but seating is limited to 60 seats. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given show. Call (202) 707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before show time, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. Programs subject to change without notice.

Monday, April 2 (7:00pm)
Cecil Taylor: All the Notes (2003). directed and produced by Christopher Felver. (73 min, DVD)
This insightful portrait of the avant pianist, composer and poet Cecil Taylor finds the free-jazz firebrand playing piano, dancing, reciting, performing with a big band and talking about life, art, music and childhood memories.

Monday, April 9 (7:00pm)
Home (2005). directed and produced by Dorothy Darr. (72 min, DVD)
Just two months before his death in 2001, drummer Billy Higgins visited saxophonist Charles Lloyd at his home where they recorded a series of duets eventually released as the two-CD set Which Way Is East. The artist and film maker Dorothy Darr rolled both audio tape and video, revealing an intimate celebration of spiritual connection between two musical giants.

Monday, April 16 (7:00pm)
Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation (2005). directed and produced by Mike Dibb. (85 min, DVD)
Pianist Keith Jarrett discusses his creative life in music with rare clips, interviews and performances featuring his American and European Quartets, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Manfred Eicher and the Standards Trio.

Monday, April 23 (7:00pm)
Los Zafiros: Music From the Edge of Time (2004) directed and produced by Lorenzo DeStefano. (79 min, DVD)
Music, emotion and rarely seen archival film clips from Cuban television fuel this bittersweet, award-winning tribute to the beloved vocal group Los Zafiros (The Saffires), known as the Beatles of 1960s Cuba. Thirty years after their breakup, the two surviving band members, Manuel Galban and Miguel Cancio, reunite in Havana sharing songs, celebrations, memories and tears.

Monday, April 30 (7:00pm)
Irène Schweizer (2005) directed by Gita Gsell; produced by Prod Franzika Reck. (75 min, DVD)
Swiss pianist, composer Irène Schweizer has performed and recorded with many of the most important American, African and European free improvisors. Since the 1980s, she’s been associated with both the Feminist Improvising Group and the European Women's Improvising Group, as well as the collective trio Les Diaboliques, with Maggie Nicols and Joëlle Léandre. Gita Gsell’s stylized, visually stunning documentary features Schweizer talking about her work and performing with Les Diaboliques, Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, Han Bennink, Louis Moholo and others.

This screening is co-sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland.

Series curated by Larry Appelbaum.
For details or further information:
lapp@loc.gov
(202) 707-1848