Jazz has a mind of its own – it ebbs and flows in any way it pleases. To add a jazz soundtrack to a film, a filmmaker must embrace the raw, unpredictable nature of the genre and allow it to reflect the labyrinthine reality of the human experience.
To understand how jazz soundtracks enhance some of the most outstanding films in history, we’ve rounded up the 10 best jazz soundtracks. Keep reading to discover the entire list, and make sure to look out for links to our production jazz playlists.
Top 10 Jazz Soundtracks
1. La La Land (2016)
To us contemporary film buffs, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is the first flick that comes to mind when discussing jazz films. The American musical is fundamentally Chazelle’s love letter to Hollywood and, in turn, an ode to the city’s jazz foundations. Deservedly, Justin Hurwitz – the film’s composer – took home an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his efforts.
2. Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Filmmakers have been using jazz to immerse silver screen audiences for years, and the earliest example to make it to our roundup is 1943’s Cabin in the Sky. Based on a 1940 Broadway musical of the same name, the film – featuring an all-Black cast – sees God and Satan go head to head for the soul of a weak gambling man who goes by the name of Little Joe.
3. St. Louis Blues (1958)
In 1958, Paramount Pictures gathered some of the biggest stars of the 50s jazz scene – including Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Cab Calloway – to create a film loosely based on the life of W.C. Handy. Naturally, the soundtrack to the film is stunning. See the clip below to watch Nat King Cole and Eartha Kitt duet in the black and white classic.
4. Bird (1988)
If you’re a jazz fan and have never seen Clint Eastwood’s Bird, then shame on you. Starring Forest Whitaker as the eponymous American Jazz saxophonist (Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker), the film is a bona fide classic that’s chock-full of emotion and memorable jazz moments.
5. Joker (2019)
In 2019, Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix presented their masterclass in origin stories. Joker – based on the world-renowned DC Comics villain – is more Martin Scorsese than MCU, and for that, we love it. Unexpectedly, Phillips incorporated some of the most well-known jazz tracks into his 1981-set super villain spectacular – most notably, Frank Sinatra’s ‘That’s Life’ and Jimmy Durante’s ‘Smile’.
6. Monster’s Inc. (2001)
Pixar’s animated films are as much for adults as they are for children, and one of our favourite things about their 2001 hit Monster’s Inc. is its incorporation (see what we did there) of original jazz music. Prepare to be hit with a wave of nostalgia when you check out the clip of the smooth jazz Monster’s Inc. theme tune, taken from the Grammy and Oscar-nominated soundtrack.
7. Soul (2020)
In 2020, Pixar took its love affair with jazz music to the next level by creating a NYC-set film that pivots around a jazz pianist named Joe Gardner. Titled Soul, the film highlights the importance of one’s passion – in Gardner’s case, jazz – to one’s purpose in life; as you can imagine, there’s some incredible soulful jazz music to be heard.
8. Alfie (1966)
You might know Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, but we know him as cockney womaniser Alfie Elkins. Lewis Gilbert’s 1966 film, entitled Alfie, is a romantic comedy-drama film complete with a jazz soundtrack that features legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins.
9. The Princess and The Frog (2009)
In our opinion, The Princess and The Frog is top tier Disney. The 2009 animated musical takes place in the birthplace of jazz during the golden age of the genre. Aptly, the film is inspired by a jazzy soundtrack. From the word go, the film pays homage to New Orleans jazz culture. Just take a look at the title scene below.
10. Green Book (2018)
At the 91st Academy Awards, Peter Farrelly’s Green Book – a film that focuses on jazz pianist Don Shirley – won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Green Book soundtrack (released by Milan Records) features Kris Bower’s jazz-centric score and songs from the era, including songs by Don Shirley, all of which transport the listener back to the 60s.
Our Jazz Music Selection
Want to listen to a little more jazz? From classic and contemporary jazz to the deepest, darkest funk, we’ve got it all here at Audio Network.
Over on our discover jazz page, you can find enough jazz music to last you a lifetime. Choose from exploring our jazz selection via our selected albums, carefully curated jazz playlists or our jazz artists and composers.
Want to use some of our jazz music in your next project? No worries! All of the tracks you find in our catalogue are ready and waiting to be used by you. Find out everything you need to know about downloading one of our tracks on our Downloading Background Music page.
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This page was updated 21/05/2024.
