Shot in New York, Born to Swing examines the various fortunes of five ex-Basie sidemen, skillfully intercutting archival footage with the 1972 footage to create a moving tribute to the Swing Era. "It is a documentary of the highest order, capturing the disintegration of a musical style which was once the dominant force in American music. The film focuses on several musicians once associated with Count Basie and shows how time has treated them and their lives. Jo Jones, Dicky Wells, Buddy Tate, and Earle Warren occupy the most space but there are also tantalising glimpses of Buck Clayton, Joe Newman, Snub Mosley, and Eddie Durham.... The Swing Era produced musicians whose forte was the spontaneous ad-lib arrangements of the blues and riff tunes derived from popular song. We get an opportunity, in this film, to see and hear the process at work." --Coda Magazine