You could easily lose 10 years of your life studying Philadelphia's music history — just ask the director of "The Philly Sound ... Heard 'Round the World," who spent a decade on the city's brand of soul alone.
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While that documentary is not yet available to watch, these movies now streaming or on demand offer a primer on some of Philly's best and brightest musicians. They span genres of jazz, R&B, rock and pop and some of them aren't quite household names yet. But their documentaries offer an intimate look at music and the people who make it, right here in Philadelphia:
I Called Him Morgan
Jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan caught Dizzy Gillespie's eye when he was still a teen in Tioga. The musical prodigy soon toured the country with Gillespie's and later Art Blakey's bands, but he spent much of his career and adult life in New York, where he also met his untimely end at the age of 33. "I Called Him Morgan" functions as a dual portrait of the musician and the woman who killed him, his wife Helen. The documentary relies on interviews with friends and fellow musicians, as well as an account from Helen recorded just a month before she died, to sketch out the couple's life together. The result is melancholy and a bit wistful, like so many great jazz standards.
Where to watch: Available to rent for $2.99 on Prime and Fandango at Home, $3.99 on Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube
Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don't Know Me
Fans and friends of Teddy Pendergrass describe him as the "king of Philadelphia" in this 2019 documentary, and it's hard to argue with that title. For a stretch of the '70s, the singer cruised the city in his Rolls-Royce, commuting from Sigma Sound Studios on 12th Street, where he recorded five consecutive platinum albums, to his 34-room mansion in Gladwyne. A 1982 car crash, however, left him paralyzed and deeply depressed. As his family recalls in "If You Don't Know Me," he was only inspired to remount his career after his therapist staged a fake funeral. The documentary also touches on Pendergrass's brush with Philly gangs, early struggle for the spotlight and sexy star image, which his longtime manager described as "Black Elvis."
Where to watch: Available to rent for $2.99 on Prime and Fandango at Home; $3.99 on Google Play, YouTube and Apple TV
Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School
"Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School" invites viewers to take a seat in a classroom like no other. The John Legend-produced documentary follows students at the Hill-Freedman World Academy as they write and record their own album — the sixth released under the International Baccalaureate school's banner. Teaching artists guide the teens through the production, but the kids are the real star of the show, whether they're sharing the personal inspirations behind their songs or swaggering through their own music videos.
Where to watch: Streaming on Max
Art Dealers
"Art Dealers," released this fall, is more of a concert film than the rest of the documentaries on this list. But the camera crew still sits for quieter interviews with the rockers of Low Cut Connie in between the band's sweaty, raucous sets. The musicians' personalities emerge in snippets captured in dressing rooms, on the road or, in frontman Adam Weiner's case, in a diner. The rest of the movie is a rollicking ode to performance and good old-fashioned rock 'n roll — with a bonus nod to "Rocky," in case you forgot the band's hometown.
Where to watch: Available to rent for $3.99 on YouTube, Prime, Google Play and Fandango at Home; $4.99 on Apple TV
Bonus 'burbs pick: Miss Americana
See the toast of Berks County at a transitional point in her career. "Miss Americana" follows Taylor Swift as she wraps up her "Reputation" era and dives into the recording and release of "Lover," all while grappling with how to use her platform. Though the documentary spends ample time on the tension between Swift's private and public personas, some of its best moments lie in the artistic process. Creation has rarely felt as exhilarating as when Swift and producer Jack Antonoff come up with the bridge to "Getaway Car" in a now viral scene.
Where to watch: Netflix
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