Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit

By Michael Jacobsohn

As a film columnist who does not generally use ratings, I can only say that Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit comes as close to a perfect score as any documentary can. The film was a joy to watch, this comprehensive dive into the history of jazz in Detroit. Director Daniel Loewenthal and producer Roberta Friedman had me glued to the screen. The full-length documentary is a cinematic joy. For the price of admission you get a comprehensive look at the last century of jazz in Detroit, and you get a lesson of how a mighty city like Detroit has coped with its fortune and, sadly, misfortunes.

Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit celebrates Detroit’s extraordinary contribution to jazz, linking generations of groundbreaking musicians to the city’s industrial rise, decline, and resilient African American community. Featuring legends and contemporary artists, it explores mentorship, musical innovation, and cultural pride, arguing that the history of American jazz cannot be told without Detroit’s story. Jazz giants Ron Carter, Yusef Lateef, Elvin Jones, Barry Harris, and Geri Allen represent Detroit’s historic legacy. Regina Carter, James Carter, Karriem Riggins, and Rodney Whitaker carry that tradition forward. Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, historians, and writers add perspective on the city’s enduring influence, mentorship, and musical excellence.

Beginning with Detroit’s early 20th-century growth, the documentary follows the city’s transformation into an automobile capital. Its factories attracted thousands of African American migrants from the South, whose communities created a thriving musical culture. Jazz flourished in Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods, then developed through strong public schools, clubs, and a remarkable tradition of mentorship. As segregation, urban renewal, factory losses, racial conflict, and economic decline reshaped Detroit, musicians carried its sound nationwide. The film concludes with the city’s cultural revival, showing younger artists sustaining Detroit’s jazz legacy today amid new challenges, renewed civic pride, and continuing Black musical creativity.

Loewenthal and Friedman live and work out of their lofts in Chelsea. I had a chance to sit with them and learn more about the making of Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit. Loewenthal’s interest began when he read the galleys of Mark Stryker’s Jazz from Detroit. He called Stryker, proposing a film; Stryker wound up writing the documentary. Loewenthal and Friedman, already “had a feeling for the city.” In 2013, they had filmed 49 Waltzes for The Motor City: Detroit, visiting 147 locations and falling “in love with the city and the people.” During the pandemic, Stryker arranged four initial interviews. Loewenthal created a five-minute promotional reel, securing foundation support. Over four years, they continued interviewing, researching, and raising funds, completing what Loewenthal called “quite a feat”: licensing 101 musical cues and extensive archival material.

They shared the challenges to the making of such an ambitious documentary. It demanded persistence and money. Production began during the pandemic, complicating interviews and travel. Many musicians were elderly, requiring accessible locations and careful scheduling. With budgetary constraints, Loewenthal and Friedman searched for a local crew in Detroit and were lucky to find a talented cinematographer with Shane McMurphy. Financing arrived gradually from foundations and individual donors; each stage depended upon proving their commitment and ability to finish. Research and editing expanded as every interview suggested another direction. The greatest expenses came afterward: securing extensive archival footage and licensing 101 music cues. Completing this historically rich independent film became, as Loewenthal said, “quite a feat.”

A look at Loewenthal and Friedman’s film backgrounds reveals why this film is so wonderfully produced. Friedman’s filmmaking career began with childhood 16mm movies and photography, followed by graduate study at CalArts. Her optical-printing and special-effects skills led to work on Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. While employed on Hollywood features, she continued making experimental films and exploring music. Returning to New York, she post-supervised documentary series, including Michael Moore’s The Awful Truth, taught filmmaking, and formed a partnership with Loewenthal, producing documentaries and experimental projects together. Loewenthal began in documentary filmmaking as an assistant to Albert and David Maysles, learning 16mm cinéma vérité production and editing. Seeking steadier work, he moved into feature films, editing around 50 movies, alongside commercials, promotional reels, infomercials, and television programs. His partnership with Friedman drew him back toward independent and historical documentaries. Together, they formed Magic Circle Productions, combining complementary skills to make major films, including Power to Heal and Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit.

Loewenthal and Friedman’s documentaries reflect an interest in civil rights, social history, and communities whose contributions are often overlooked. Power to Heal examined how Medicare helped desegregate hospitals, connecting federal policy with the courage of Black doctors, organizers, and activists. Best of the Best similarly places Detroit jazz within the Great Migration, segregation, Black enterprise, and industrial change. Rather than separating art from history, they ask how social conditions shape lives, creativity, opportunity, and memory.

As longtime teachers, Loewenthal and Friedman have encouraged young filmmakers to remain passionate while understanding the realities of an uncertain profession. They emphasize that cameras and phones may make production easier, but technology alone cannot create a compelling story. Storytelling and collaboration still take years to develop. Friedman advises students to master practical skills: editing, shooting, or gripping that can support them while they pursue personal work. Both acknowledge that documentary funding and distribution have become difficult. Nevertheless, they continue making films because independent documentary remains a vital way to preserve history, illuminate overlooked communities, and bring stories into the world.

To learn more about The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit go to the film’s website: jazzfromdetroitfilm.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. The film is available for watching on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Tubi.

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Michael Jacobsohn is an independent New York City filmmaker. Last year he completed “The Cornelia Street Café in Exile,” a full-length documentary on the greatly missed, Cornelia Street Cafe. He curates and hosts a bi-monthly screening of short films by New York Metropolitan filmmakers at New Plaza Cinema. The next show will be in late October.