Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest

Who is Jimmy Scott? The New York Times described him as "the most unjustly ignored singer of the 20th Century." Among his fans-- Billie Holliday, Dinah Washington, Charlie Parker, Sting and Elton John.
James Victor Scott, known as "Little“ Jimmy Scott, was born on 17 th of July 1925, the third of ten children in Cleveland. At the age of twelve, he lost his mother in a car accident and learned shortly thereafter that he suffered from the rare genetic disease Kallman‘s Syndrome. His life has been one tremendous struggle after another.
Our hero is an old man with a weakened body. He’s seated in a wheelchair and it seems that he may not be clear about what is happening around him. No matter, the sound of his singing voice fills the room. The feeling is sacred. David Ritz, author of the 2002 biography "Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott", gives us insights into the singer’s history.
We learn the circumstances under which he developed his unique artistry and why he never managed a major breakthrough.
We follow the making of Jimmy’s new record, experiencing it with old friends like James Moody. We hear inside stories from, among others, producer Quincy Jones' Classics from the American Songbook are performed either solo by Jimmy or in duets with Joe Pesci, Madeleine Peyroux, Monica Mancini and Arturo Sandoval.
The film is a poignant portrait of a man at the end of his life whose spirit remains strong. RISING ABOVE THE BLUES is about artistic courage and power of the human voice to inspire.