This is not so much a history of Blue Note Records or even a history of jazz in the Blue Note era, but actually a love note to one man never shown in this documentary for more than a moment or two until the end: Alfred Lion, a German expatriate who left his home, eventually came to New York and co-founded Blue Note in 1939 and ran the label until 1967.
True enough, people talk about other things: about the history and venues of jazz, about Thelonius Monk, whom Lion championed despite being told that he had no technique and no technical training (I happen to admire Monk without being able to enjoy him, so I agree with the majority opinion at the beginning). But even when they seem to be talking about other things -- like Kareen Abdul Jabar talking about basketball teams -- it all leads back to Lion.
True enough, people talk about other things: about the history and venues of jazz, about Thelonius Monk, whom Lion championed despite being told that he had no technique and no technical training (I happen to admire Monk without being able to enjoy him, so I agree with the majority opinion at the beginning). But even when they seem to be talking about other things -- like Kareen Abdul Jabar talking about basketball teams -- it all leads back to Lion.