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Category: Music
For some rare performances on film by jazz legends and some of the best musicians you never heard of, check out Boy! What a Girl! on the Internet Archive.This 1947 treasure, typical of "race films" of the period made with a minimal budget and an all-black cast, would most likely have been shown in theaters in black neighborhoods or in segregated matinee slots set aside for African-American patrons.
Like many of its mainstream big-budget Hollywood counterparts, it has a thin plot stringing together a set of impressive music and dance numbers, the first by the Slam Stewart Trio, who plays as the opening credits roll, with Beryl Booker on piano (see The Beryl Booker Project).
There are bone-breaking jitterbug numbers, a cameo appearance by Gene Krupa, and a lovely vocalist you never heard of named Ann Cornell, whose phrasing and tone will remind you of Billie Holiday. About halfway through the film is an uncredited performance by Mary Lou Williams on solo piano, where she shows her classical influence and impeccable technique.
Boy! What a Girl! is in public domain, so you can view or download it free from the Internet Archive. (Go to Boy! What a Girl!)
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