Jam Session

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The musical short film features Duke Ellington and his orchestra performing "C Jam Blues." The film recording, made in late 1941, was released in 1942 as a Soundie, a musical film played on jukebox-like devices found in social clubs and bars. Recorded for RCA Victor Records in 1942, the song continued to be a staple of the Ellington repertoire. Ellington appeared as a character in short subjects and feature films as early as 1929, and is featured in 1959's "Anatomy of a Murder." He appeared as himself in countless films, documentaries and television shows, and his music is heard in hundreds more. Named to the National Film Registry in 2001.