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Blues Like Showers of Rain & Jazz Is Our Religion (15)

Jazz on Screen

,Cinema 3
playing guitar

Two landmark films that trace the roots of the blues and celebrate the enduring spirit of jazz.

Blues Like Showers of Rain offers a powerful exploration of the origins of the blues, tracing its journey from the rural American South to the cities where the music evolved into new forms. Drawing on field recordings and photographs made by pioneering British blues historian Paul Oliver during his travels across the United States in 1960, director and editor John Jeremy creates a richly evocative portrait of the people, places and history that shaped the blues.

Jazz Is Our Religion is a lyrical celebration of jazz as music, culture and lived experience. Combining poetry by Langston Hughes, Ted Joans and others with Val Wilmer's striking photography, Jeremy weaves together images, voices and music into a cinematic meditation on the spirit of jazz and the artists who created it.

Tagged with: Cinema EFG London Jazz Festival 2026 Jazz on Screen 2026

Content Warning: Please note Jazz Is Our Religion includes distressing scenes of severe racial violence.

Jazz on Screen is part of EFG London Jazz Festival.

With thanks to John Jeremy and Stewart Morgan Hajdukiewicz

Ticket prices

Standard
£15.50 (£14 + £1.50 transaction fee)
* Excludes £1.50 booking fee

Booking fees

£1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction.

No fee when tickets are booked in person.

Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events. Members do not pay booking fees.

Programme

Blues Like Showers of Rain, dir John Jeremy, 1970, 27 mins 

Jazz Is Our Religion, dir John Jeremy, 1972, 50 mins

More Jazz...

Cinema 3

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.