Don Ellis Leads His Big Band

Notable Cast

Teddy Hale Dances

In this rarely seen classic TV footage, legendary tap dancer Teddy Hale appears in his only surviving filmed appearance on the Texaco Star Theater from

Fayard Nicholas Dancing and doing a split

The Nicholas brothers invented and perfected a dance form that combined classical tap, jazz, acrobatics and amazing athleticism. Mikhail Baryshnikov declared the Nicholas Brothers to be, “the most amazing dancers I have ever seen in my life — ever … Those guys are perfect examples of pure genius.”

Tap Dancing Legend, Bill Bailey, performs

Bill Bailey Moonwalks

The dancer who taught Michael Jackson to moonwalk in a rare film appearance! Tap dance pioneer Bill Bailey performs on the Harlem Variety Review in the early 1950’s and demonstrates the move he called, The Backslide,” later renamed “The Moonwalk,” by Michael Jackson.

Don Ellis.
Internet Archive – https://archive.org/details/calauem_000020

Don Ellis was best known for writing, and winning an academy award for arranging, the theme to The French Connection. Before that, he represented the height of LA jazz sophistication in 1967.

This video presents Don Ellis at Ellis Island (nightclub) on the Sunset Strip, Hollywood, California in 1967. The Don Ellis Band plays “In a Turkish Bath.” Ray Neapolitan is on sitar.

The opening sequence beautifully shows the musical excitement and innovation that was present in L.A. at that time.