Thursday, November 6 at 8:00 PM — Constellation — 3111 N Western Ave
Tickets: $15 at the door or purchase in advance
International Sweethearts of Rhythm: Jazz and Blues Films from the Bob Koester Collection
In 2023, CFS received a donation of several hundred reels of 16mm film from the family of Bob Koester (1932–2021). Bob was a film collector and regular presence at Chicago repertory film screenings, but he was best known as the founder of Delmark Records and as owner of the legendary Jazz Record Mart. Compiled over the course of several decades, his film collection reflects a lifetime in the music business and his deep love for jazz and blues. Many Chicagoans remember Bob’s marathon screenings at Jazz Record Mart and at the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s annual Jazz Fair. He also traveled to jazz festivals around the country to present films from his collection, and opened his home to anyone who expressed interest in his Friday night movie screenings. We’ve spent the last couple of years winding through the reels to identify and inspect each film, and we’re finally ready to continue Bob’s tradition by inviting you over for a screening. The show includes performances by everyone from Louis Armstrong and Ethel Waters to Freddie & Flo, Slap & Happy, and Snap & Snappy; rare music documentaries, cartoons, and more! It’s the Chicago Film Society’s honor to be the new home of this collection, and to be able to pay tribute to Bob’s passion by screening these prints once again. (JA/TV)
Approx 90 min • 16mm from CFS collections
NEXT UP: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID on Tuesday, November 11 at Music Box