Words by Brooklyn Bailey

Graphics by isz_arts

With so many great music docs to choose from this year, LDN‘s sorted five of the most outstanding (in our humble opinion) from jazz to alt.rock to funk. Just press play…

#1 Yussef Dayes In Japan

Released in January 2025, this documentary follows Yussef Dayes, the south London jazz drummer and composer, as he travels across Japan exploring its culture, performing live music, and taking moments for personal reflection. He plays live in front of beautiful, idyllic Japanese scenery. He engages with local musicians and culture, absorbs it, and uses it as inspiration for his future projects. It’s free to watch on YouTube.

#2 Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery

Lilith Fair was a roaming north American music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan that ran from 1997 to 1999. The festival was created to showcase female artists – from Sheryl Crowe and Emmylou Harris to Missy Elliott, Tracy Chapman and so many others – challenging the industry norms of the time, which limited the space for female musicians. The documentary explores the festival’s success and the community and safe space it built for women and LGBTQ+ audiences and artists. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews and explains why the legacy of Lilith Fair remains significant today. Stream on Disney+.

#3 Freeman Vines

This follows the late luthier Freeman Vines turning history into art by creating a guitar from wood taken from trees used in the lynching of a young black man in 1930. The short documentary talks about Freeman’s decades of carving custom guitars, his battles with illness, and his lifelong struggle against racism in eastern North Carolina. It emphasises the 82-year-old’s perseverance and shows that it’s more about dedication to creativity than just achieving success. Stream on YouTube.

#4 It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley

Here Jeff Buckley‘s life and musical legacy are explored, shown through new, unseen footage and interviews with those who were closest to him. It discusses the American singer-songwriter’s struggles with fame and identity – he was the only biological son of his troubled folk-jazz singer father Tim – highlighting his humour and sensitivity. The film reflects on his death by accidental drowning in 1997 and the grief it caused, but also on the everlasting effect and influence of his music across each new generation. It’s a raw and deeply human documentary. It’s currently only out in the US, but will be coming to the UK in early 2026.

#5 We Want The Funk!

Funk wasn’t just a genre but an expression of freedom and ‘We Want The Funk!‘ highlights the rise of the movement from its roots in African rhythms, jazz, soul, blues, and the post-war landscape. The documentary’s editing mirrors the rhythms of funk and makes you feel the grooves all the way through. It emphasises the legendary voices (James Brown, Sly Stone, Labelle, Fela Kuti, and more) the culture and history of funk, as well as its influence on the birth of hip-hop, disco, and more. It’s streaming for a year on BBC iPlayer.

Honorary mentions include: Monk in Pieces (buy or rent), Billy Joel: And so it Goes (Sky or NOW), Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (Disney+) and Songs of Black Folk (YouTube).