Body and Soul: An American Bridge

The Great American Songbook is replete with standards from Jewish composers, inducted into the jazz canon by black musicians. Perhaps none has been as enduring as the 1930s tune Body and Soul, composed by Jewish songwriter Johnny Green, introduced on Broadway by Jewish torch singer Libby Holman, and first recorded as a jazz piece by Louis Armstrong.

Filmmaker Robert Philipson explores the timelessness of the piece, and its role at the very heart of both black American and Jewish music. Combining expert interviews with rare archival footage and brilliant performances, Body and Soul: An American Bridge pays tribute to the enduring power of music to break down barriers and unite disparate peoples.