* * *1/2 "Anita O’Day sang like an angel, lived like the devil and produced enough great music to fill a couple of lifetimes."
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

* * *1/2 "Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer" chooses from all the existing materials, and is invaluable.”
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“…fast-paced, enthralling.”
Stephen Holden, New York Times

"O'Day is the epitome of cool. A heartfelt documentary.”
Hilton Als, The New Yorker

“A high point shows O'Day, in a black-and-white hat and form-fitting dress, singing "Sweet Georgia Brown" at the Newport Jazz Festival. That scene alone confirms O'Day's place among the greats.”
V.A. Musetto,  New York Post

"An exuberant documentary...O'Day's resilience, humor, smarts and mystery shine throughout."
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times

"Documentary gives jazz sensation her due"
Robyn-Denise Yourse, The Washington Times

"One of the greatest jazz films ever made"
Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News

"Fascinating"
Matt Schudel, Washington Post
“Her talent and will to survive are reasons enough to see this film.”
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

* * * * "O’Day’s life story has enough twists to fill several docs.”
Hank Sartin, Time Out Chicago

“A good deal livelier than the usual music-doc embalming… To watch her landmark tea-dress slink through "Sweet Georgia Brown" at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival is to hear every syllable expressed as if at the spark of conception, fully formed and felt.”
Jim Ridley, The Village Voice

“An intriguing portrait of an intriguing performer."
William Wolf, New York Calling

“I truly loved meeting the great Lady O'Day, and you will adore her and this film just as much.”
Steve Prokopy, Steve At The Movies, Gapers Block

* * * * “This superb documentary, successful on every level, brings us both the music and the woman, the song and the singer, from her early big band days”
Michael Wilmington, Movie City News

“Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden's loving tribute to the great singer orchestrates archival footage, late-in-life interviews and some spectacular music into one of the better bio-pics of recent years.”
John Anderson, Newsday

“Anita O'Day, the Jezebel of Jazz, gets her due in a new documentary"
Richard von Busack, Metroactive

“Anita O'Day documentary reintroduces a jazz great"
Sura Wood, The Mercury News

"A pleasure to watch"
Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant

***1/2 (out of four stars)
Steven Rea, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The 10 best indie movies of 2008
Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com

"***½"
Calvin Wilson, STL Today

"Gold standard for documentaries"
Michael Calleri, Niagara Falls

"Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer"
Sarah Boslaugh, PlayBack: STL

A captivating documentary detailing the tumultuous singing career of jazz’s wild child and resident rule-breaker, Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer seduces audiences with its star’s wry wit, startling frankness, and talent comparable only to the other jazz greats, namely Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
Allie Willis, CinemaSpartan

"A wonderful treasure. The documentary provides a fascinating look at a woman considered by many to be one of our finest jazz singers."
Beth Accomando, KPBS

"What is most precious about this film is the movie and television footage of O'Day singing"
Victor L. Schermer, All About Jazz

"Fascinating"
Pamela Espeland, MinnPost.com

"Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer" captures that life in vivid detail, its star able to take us along in a look back at her bumpy, fascinating journey."
Dan Bennett, North County Times

"An absolute must-see for music fans, Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden's fascinating portrait is a fitting tribute to this one-of-a-kind dame."
Movie Clock, Santa Fe

"Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer"
John Hajduk, Dr. John's Journal

"A gentle, swingingfilm that pieces together her extraordinary life story"
Joel Selvin, Arkansas Online

"The lonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser'
Calvin Wilson, STL Today

"Anita O'Day"
Christopher, Pragmatism Refreshed

"Progie Award for Best Progressive Musical or Film"
Jester Entertainment

Rick’s Top 25 Films of 2008
Rick’s Flicks Picks

"A Masterpiece of the Medium"
LA Weekly

"GO"
LA Weekly

"‘Anita O’Day’ shines spotlight on an underappreciated talent"
David Lee Simmons, The Sunday Paper

"Anita O’Day: The Life of A Jazz Singer"
Pegasus News

"ANITA O'DAY: THE LIFE OF A JAZZ SINGER"
Dallas News

"ANITA O'DAY: THE LIFE OF A JAZZ SINGER"
John Andrews, WSWS.org