by MARK SLUTSKY

The Cinémathèque québécoise's Ciné-jazz program, always timed to coincide with the Jazz Fest, has become an annual tradition for jazz and film lovers who dig on that sweet, sweet combo of both 20th-century art forms. The 23rd annual event, which runs from Thursday, June 30, through Sunday, July 10, has been guest-programmed by former Cinémathèque director general Robert Daudelin and features varied offerings to please music, movie and animation aficionados alike.

The loose theme of this year's Ciné-jazz is Trésors de l'INA. The INA, for those not hip to the European TV scene, is France's l'Institut national de l'audiovisuel, an archive covering a half-century of French TV. As the French have always been great patrons of jazz, there's a lot to dig into.

The great Duke Ellington is given his due in A Date With Duke, a seven-minute short by famed animator George Pal, which combines marionettes and the Duke's own "Perfume Suite." There's also 1974's Jazz Portrait: Duke Ellington, with the legend playing and commenting on some of his most celebrated works. You can also check out Jazz Portrait: Thelonious Monk, with Henri Renaud interviewing the fascinating pianist and composer.

The Jazz Session series will spotlight artists like pianists Earl "Fatha" Hines and Bill Evans, and the Jazz à Châteauvallon programs (filmed live at the eponymous French festival), spotlighting Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson and the Johnny Griffin Quartet with Dizzy Gillespie.

Also of note is local filmmaker Martine Chartrand's much-lauded animated journey through black history, Âme noire (Black Soul), featuring a soundtrack by Oliver Jones. Also originating from the NFB is Begone Dull Care, an eight-minute animation by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart based on music by Oscar Peterson.

And jazz and animation lovers will definitely want to check out The King of Jazz, a 1930 cartoon by the legendary Walter Lantz and John Murray Anderson that has the distinction of being the first colour cartoon. Originally produced as a prologue for the live-action feature of the same name, it features the voice of then-unknown Bing Crosby.

For more info, visit www.cinematheque.qc.ca

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