Body and Soul: An American Bridge

Robert Philipson’s documentary focuses on the history of the jazz standard "Body and Soul" and its composer, Johnny Green. Written in 1930, the song was first heard when Gertrude Lawrence performed it in a London revue and the first American performance was by Libby Holman in the same year during the Broadway show Three’s a Crowd. The song was quickly adapted by the big bands of the 1930s and became a jazz favorite, thanks to Coleman Hawkins’s innovative 1939 recording. Over the years, "Body and Soul" was covered by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, and Stan Kenton, and has the sad distinction of being the final song recorded by Amy Winehouse before her death in 2011. Philipson all but ignores the creators of the song’s haunting lyrics, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton, and spends a lot of time on Green’s Jewish faith, which is curious, given that Green was not a particularly religious person and he converted to Christianity later in life. Philipson details connections between Jewish songwriters and African American singers and musicians, but he strangely downplays Green’s other career achievements (the man won five Academy Awards). Optional. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)