Two landmark films that trace the roots of the blues and celebrate the enduring spirit of jazz.

Blues Like Showers of Rain (1970, 27 min) offers a powerful exploration of the origins of the blues, tracing its journey from the rural American South to the cities where the music evolved into new forms. Drawing on field recordings and photographs made by pioneering British blues historian Paul Oliver during his travels across the United States in 1960, director and editor John Jeremy creates a richly evocative portrait of the people, places and history that shaped the blues.

Jazz Is Our Religion (1972, 50 min) is a lyrical celebration of jazz as music, culture and lived experience. Combining poetry by Langston Hughes, Ted Joans and others with Val Wilmer's striking photography, Jeremy weaves together images, voices and music into a cinematic meditation on the spirit of jazz and the artists who created it.

With thanks to John Jeremy and Stewart Morgan Hajdukiewicz.