Fire Music: The Story of Free Jazz

Crammed with exhilarating sounds, moving reminiscences and stimulating arguments that [free jazz] is not just music, but vital music… [It] highlights are incredibly well-curated archival footage and contemporary interviews that allow the viewer to briefly commune with some beautiful souls… This movie constituted a too-short heaven on earth. I’d binge on an expanded series, honestly

Fascinating… In the documentary Fire Music, the hostile reaction that met the unusual genre soon turns into deep appreciation and a lasting influence.

Fire Music provides a concise, thoughtful account of the musical form which first blossomed in the late 1950s.The documentary does an excellent job of making the music come alive with its gripping performance footage and incisive interviews with many key players... The film should be on any serious music lover's must-see list.

Fire Music sets a new benchmark. The film clearly lays out how the original wave of free jazz evolved from what came before and how, for a brief yet indelible period, yielded a wealth of music that's still unparalleled in its gritty intensity and deep spiritual resonance. Thanks to Tom Surgal, we have a record of what it felt like to be there.