Of Black America Series: Body and Soul, Part 2: Soul

Duration: 10:00

Year Published: 1968

Creator: Bailey Film Associates (BFA)

Complete Record: Coconut Grove, Ray Charles plays ‘Georgia’ , then speaks of the history of soul / blues music, shots of black children and cotton picking in the south, poverty, excellent old b/w footage of poor blacks in the south making music and dancing, shots of trains and black men working on tracks wearing overalls, singing, hammering rocks in a quarry, chain gang / prisoners, Ray Charles in recording studio speaks of the black experience in America “you can’t teach a man how to have the blues”, old b/w footage of Jimmy Rushing singing the blues with Count Basie’s band, Lester Young plays saxophone, Billie Holiday sings while Ray Charles speaks saying “she makes you want to cry”, Mahalia Jackson sings a spiritual in church, 1920s black baptizing footage involving many people, older blacks in the south singing, , children and teenagers dance while brass band plays jazz and go down a street in Harlem in the 60s (b/w), Duke Ellington and his band -piano, bass (b/w), Count Basie and his band (b/w), Louis Armstrong sings from behind a bar, then plays trumpet (b/w) , Nat King Cole (b/w) performs, Dinah Washington sings(b/w), color 60s young black people in the street singing & marching, Aretha Franklin sings ‘Respect’ on stage (color), intercut throughout with Ray Charles speaking, ends with him performing at the Coconut Grove.* Other artists shown include Lester Young and Dinah Washington.