Late legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong’s contributions to the realm of music will be the focus of a new film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple Original Films has a documentary in the works about the life and legacy of the pioneering jazz musician.
The film, titled Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong, will highlight the New Orleans native’s rise to fame and delve into parts of his personal life that have been left in obscurity. Beyond the music, the film will take an in-depth look at the backlash he received for staying mum on issues surrounding racial injustice until he voiced his dismay over the treatment of the Little Rock Nine. The documentary will include rare photos, audio recordings and video footage to capture the essence of Armstrong’s journey. The project will be directed by filmmaker Sacha Jenkins under the Imagine Documentaries imprint. Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Julie Anderson, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer will produce the film.
“The film offers a definitive look at the master musician’s life and legacy as a founding father of jazz, the first pop star and a cultural ambassador of the United States,” read a statement from Apple TV+. “With the full support of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the filmmakers have access to a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival materials, including hundreds of hours of audio recordings, film footage, photographs, personal diaries and a life’s worth of ephemera for exclusive use in the first significant documentary dedicated entirely to his life.” The film will be featured on Apple TV+. There is no word on when it will make its debut.
News about the creation of the documentary comes after Armstrong’s song “When the Saints Go Marching In” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
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