Sophie Huber, Director

Born in Switzerland and based in Los Angeles, Sophie Huber gained her filmmaking experience as a member of an award winning Berlin film collective, for which she co-directed several narrative films. Her debut feature documentary, the critically acclaimed HARRY DEAN STANTON: PARTLY FICTION premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won several awards and was theatrically released in 2013. BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES is her second documentary.

BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE BEATS

SYNOPSIS

One of the most important record labels in the history of jazz — and, by extension, that of American music — Blue Note Records has been home to such groundbreaking artists as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Bud Powell and Art Blakey, as well as present-day luminaries like Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire and Norah Jones. Founded in New York in 1939 by German Jewish refugees Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, the history of Blue Note Records goes beyond the landmark recordings, encompassing the pursuit of musical freedom, the conflict between art and commerce and the idea of music as a transformative and revolutionary force. Through rare archival footage, current recording sessions and conversations with jazz icons Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and today’s groundbreaking Blue Note musicians, BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES reveals a powerful mission and illuminates the vital connections between jazz and hip hop.