StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: More favorite jazz documentaries

With a temporary shortage of upcoming local shows to preview over the next couple of weeks, today's post once again is dedicated to showcasing some favorite jazz documentary films that can be seen online for free.

First up is Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis, which was produced in 1986 and and aired by PBS as part of their series Great Performances. Not to be confused with the similarly named film by Don Cheadle released earlier this year, this movie is a documentary with concert footage from the 1986 New Orleans Jazz Festival and interviews with Davis, Keith Jarrett, Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, George Benson, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams and others.

After the jump, you can see Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968, director Thomas Reichman's film about the famed bassist, bandleader, and composer.

Below that, it's On the Road with Duke Ellington, originally made for television in 1967, and updated after Ellington's death in 1974.

That's followed by The World According To John Coltrane, a 1990 film about the influential saxophonist; and Different Drummer: Elvin Jones, a 1979 documentary about the drummer who played on many of Coltrane's greatest recordings.

The final video is Jackie McLean On Mars, a quirky, short film from 1979 about the saxophonist that features him addressing the camera directly for much of its running time.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...