The Murder Ballad of James Jones

Name: The Murder Ballad of James Jones
Director: Jesse Kreitzer
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2014-09-25
Cast: James Y. Jones

NR 2014 · 4 min · Documentary

In 1993, Chicago bluesman and Howlin' Wolf protégé James "Tail Dragger" Jones murdered fellow musician "Boston Blackie" during an on-stage performance. Twenty years later, James engraved his confession onto an acetate record.

Directed by Jesse Kreitzer · Written by Jesse Kreitzer

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Cast

James Y. Jones as Himself

Make it a double feature

2h 58m together

The Murder Ballad of James Jones

Hoop Dreams

A close match in mood and era.

More from Jesse KreitzerSee all →

Black Canaries · 2016

Black Canaries

2016

MovieDrama

Isolated, desperate, and haunted by his coal-stained birthright, Father continues his daily descent into the accursed Maple mine— even after it has crippled his ancestors and blinded his youngest son. Set in 1907 and based on director Jesse Kreitzer’s own coal mining heritage, Black Canaries is a powerful meditation on patrimony, loyalty, and love.

In rural Vermont, aging sugarmakers honor a centuries-old tradition in this powerful meditation on family legacy, loss, and resilience. Through seven distinct portraits, the film forms a rich tapestry of stories about how we spend our time on this earth—and what we leave behind.

In Central Africa, a young domestic worker waits for God to intervene.

In 1941, folklorist Alan Lomax traveled from the Library of Congress to the Mississippi Delta to record an oral history of the blues. Equipped with 500 pounds of audio equipment powered by his car battery, he ventured across nameless roads to discover the most beautiful and harrowing songs ever sung.

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