“Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” - Catching up with Director Sacha Jenkins

Filmmaker Sacha Jenkins gives us insight into one of the greatest musicians of all time, Louis Armstrong.

In his latest documentary, Sacha Jenkins dives deep into the life of Louis Armstrong.

"Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues" offers an intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of archival footage and never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations. This definitive documentary, directed by Sacha Jenkins, honors Armstrong's legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador of the United States.

A Sacha Jenkins Jammie produced by Imagine Documentaries, the film shows how Armstrong’s own life spans the shift from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, and how he became a lightning rod figure in that turbulent era.

Journalist and filmmaker Sacha Jenkins has carved out a niche for himself as a documentarian crafting titles that often touch on hip hop music and culture. This work has been seen in his 2015 debut doc Fresh Dressed, through his 2019 docuseries Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men and his 2021 documentary Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James, profiling the soul musician whose influence on hip hop is deep and far-reaching.

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues had its world premiere earlier this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was produced by Imagine Entertainment, with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Michele Anthony and David Blackman executive producing. An Apple Original Film, the doc will premiere on Apple TV+ and in select theaters on October 28.

I spoke with Director Sacha Jenkins about working on this extremely fascinating documentary.