Of the numerous well-developed, compelling facet characters in “A Jazzman’s Blues,” it’s Bayou and Willie Earl’s supervisor Ira (Ryan Eggold) that stands proud. Even though he turns out from his first few appearances to be simply a stooge within the make use of of Willie Earl, each bit as unfriendly and each bit as addicted to narcotics, Ira regularly proves himself to be one of the crucial movie’s maximum essential characters, and one of the crucial few who really cares for Bayou.
Even though Ira starts by means of enjoying his playing cards shut to his chest, he ultimately opens up utterly to Bayou — simply when it’s maximum wanted. When Bayou fears that his break out to Chicago will depart his mom in jeopardy with the rest mob in Georgia, Ira takes an extended whilst to provide an explanation for to Bayou precisely why he will have to proceed on, why perseverance is an admirable objective.
He tells Bayou of his studies as a Jewish individual within the Holocaust, and they’re as darkish as anticipated. His possessions and residential had been stolen, he was once forcefully introduced to a focus camp, witnessed his spouse and kid murdered ahead of his eyes, and come what may nonetheless persisted. Even though he by no means mentions how he received his freedom, he hints at a job akin to Oskar Schindler by means of pronouncing that at last, “I helped many of us.” In spite of everything, he unearths the parallel to Bayou, telling him “now and again you will have to simply cross on, so as to come again to assist.”