The Girls in the Band – movie review

   

       This delightful 83 minute documentary was very enlightening about girl jazz bands…from their early inception in the 1930’s to the current day. Sure, it’s not a burning subject from my gotta-know bucket list but it was very informative and entertaining. The cast was made up of about 20 performers who were part of various bands throughout the years.

          I love all the wrinkly (and still thoroughly gorgeous) women today who shared their experiences in the film as they are shown playing in these bands from a by-gone era. There were some tough roads to travel as they toured, especially through the South during the height of segregation. Many of the bands were all black with one or two white women, or they were ‘international’ with blacks, Mexican and Asian women, with one or two Caucasians. Black families living in the areas would open their homes to these musicians for places to stay thereby jeopardizing their own welfare should segregationists find out what they were up to.

          The girls in the band had a blast. At the time they didn’t make a huge deal about the uniqueness of what they were doing. Most of them just knew they wanted to play an instrument at a very young age and not just those musical instruments thought to be for women to play – piano and violin. They played sax, trombone, drums, tuba, as well as just about everything else.

          If you liked 20 Feet From Stardom, you’ll like this movie too. I really enjoyed it.


Four out of possible five ticket stubs