JazzTown is a 2021 American documentary film by director and musician Ben Makinen.
JazzTown features interviews with over 50 Colorado jazz musicians, including Freddy Rodriguez Sr., Charles Burrell, Dianne Reeves, and Ron Miles.
[1] Ben Makinen, who attended high school in Colorado, produced JazzTown over the course of twelve years.
As the sole director, writer, and editor, Makinen aimed to document the stories of older players while exploring the new generation of jazz musicians.
According to a 2022 article in Westword, “Makinen says JazzTown has the distinction of being the only feature-length jazz documentary made entirely by one person.”[2] In May 2021, Makinen sold his home in Colorado to help finance the film’s completion while living in Bali, Indonesia.