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Poster for Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

2015 · 70 min

An affectionate, music-filled portrait that celebrates a pioneering talent while quietly acknowledging the barriers she faced.

Directed by
Carol Bash
Genres
Documentary
Starring
Mary Lou Williams, Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo
Tagline
She fought to create in a world that could not see past her race or gender
Overview
Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Carol Bash
Genres
Documentary
Starring
Mary Lou Williams, Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • upliftingstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • music
  • race
  • gender
  • ambition
  • identity
Places
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • documentary
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence none
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour2
Realism9
Romance1
Tension3
Darkness3
Complexity4
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
documentary
Directed by
Carol Bash
Starring
Mary Lou Williams, Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, Wendell Pierce, Stanley Crouch, Robin D.G. Kelley, Gary Giddins, Tammy L. Kernodle
Cinematography
James Richards, Robert Shepard
Runtime
70 min
Languages
English

TMDBIMDb

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