‘Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues’ Provides Truer, Fuller Picture Of An Entertainment Icon – Contenders Documentary
deadline.com“My only sin is in my skin.” That rhyme is among the lyrics in the 1929 Fats Waller song “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue,” an eloquent and haunting evocation of the experience of being a Black man in America.
The brilliant jazz artist and entertainer Louis Armstrong recorded a version of that song. More importantly, he lived it. RELATED: — Deadline’s Complete Coverage Armstrong’s private feelings about the racism and indignities he faced during his life are explored in the Apple Original Films documentary Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, directed by Sacha Jenkins.
The film draws from private audio recordings the jazz trumpeter made, including conversations with friends where he spoke openly about his experiences. “He was a techie, you could say, and he had a reel-to-reel recorder that he took with him everywhere, but also was prominently featured in his fun room at his house,” Jenkins said during an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary awards-season event. “He taped conversations with himself and his wife, friends, conversations with himself.
And it’s very revealing.” Jenkins added, “Media back then wasn’t what it is today. There [wasn’t] YouTube or these platforms where artists can say whatever they want and do whatever they want.
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