World-renowned singer, the late Carol Sloane is the subject of the new feature-length documentary Sloane: A Jazz Singer, directed by longtime Cutters editor and Chicago filmmaker, Michael Lippert.
The film recently took First Prize in the Feature Documentary category at The Rhode Island International Film Festival, and has won in total 7 “Best of” awards across the world. Sloane is now set to make its Midwest Premiere at Heartland International Film Festival in Indy on Sunday, October 8 at 5:15pm and Friday Oct 13 at 7:15pm.
The film follows an 82-year-old Sloane in September 2019 in the days leading up to her final live album recording at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City.
In the 1960s, jazz singer Carol Sloane became an overnight sensation. A natural interpreter of the Great American Songbook, she was hailed by Johnny Carson and later the Washington Post as “the greatest living jazz singer.” She performed and toured with some of the biggest names, like Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald. She even befriended The Beatles and The Stones. But when the British Invasion of rock swept the country, her rising star faded as quickly as it rose, paving the way for devastating financial and emotional setbacks. And to this day, most people have never heard of Carol Sloane.
Through rare archival footage, intimate moments with Sloane, and enlightening commentary from industry leaders, the film illuminates the remarkable six-decade career of this singular artist’s adherence to her passion against great odds, and are invited to examine the meaning of success in a world where “art don’t pay.”
Sadly, Carol passed away in early 2023, only a month before the film won Best Feature Documentary at its World Premiere in The Santa Fe Film Festival. (She did, however, see the final film before she died.) As a testament to Carol’s lasting impression on peers and critics, tributes soon poured in from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and others.
Reviews for the film have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Jazz writer Joe Vanderford recently said the film is “a proper couplet to the renowned 20 Feet from Stardom. This film needs to be seen by everyone who loves music – and those who understand the challenges of growing up and growing old…”
The film was also called “an invaluable gift” by the New York City Jazz Record, and Boston Jazz Chronicles said “the true summa to [Carol’s] sixty-year career is Michael Lippert’s documentary, Sloane: A Jazz Singer.”
Tickets to both screenings are now available through Heartland’s website or the film’s official page at sloanefilm.com. For more information, go to sloanefilm.com/trailer, or visit Facebook and Instagram (@sloanejazzfilm) for regular updates.
CREDITS:
Director and Editor: Michael Lippert
Mix: Drew Weir, Another Country
Mix Producer: Tim Konn, Another Country
Mix assist: Brett Rossiter, Logan Vines, Gabby Henderson
Poster: Colby Capes, Flavor
Graphics: Colby Capes, Sam Kelly
IO/technical services: Eric Houtz, Julie Klos, Isabella Paulitz, Ryan Schnizlein
