Routine documentary about Jackie Paris, one of the most criminally overlooked singers of the twentieth century. He was (and is) known as a "singer's singer", which basically translates as "unpopular with the public". Among his ardent fans were Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn (who went to bed with him), Charles Mingus (who didn't), Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk...Paris was the first to record the Monk classic "Round Midnight". Paris turns out to be a rather dull Italian guy, who never drank or smoked, and never got his big break. His voice (I've been a fan since stumbling across his remarkable recording of "Detour Ahead" a dozen years ago) is sometimes shaky and gravelly, but like other great singers who have an imperfect voice (Billie Holliday, Anita O'Day) it's intimate and unique and an emotional experience to listen to. Sounding like no one else can work for you or against you, and the latter seems to have happened with him. The film reveals very little about the man, you'd do better to purchase his lp "Skylark" (he recorded only four albums in his prime, and just another two after his voice went). There are larger mysteries, but just listen to this man's voice and try to fathom why he never made it big...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsuNH5pqFLQ
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