St. Louis Jazz Notes: Frank Zappa

A long-awaited documentary about St. Louis' Black Artists Group (BAG) will make its local debut at the 2020 St. Louis International Film Festival, which will take place online from November 5-22.

Directed by Bryan Dematteis and co-produced by St. Louis native, trumpeter, arts impresario, and former BAG member George Sams, The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement is described in the festival's program like this:

"The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis (BAG) formed in the late 1960s as an arts collective devoted to raising Black consciousness, battling social injustice, and exploring the far reaches of experimental performance. Beyond St. Louis, BAG’s musicians became influential in Europe and in New York, where members helped to found the Loft Jazz scene.

Locally, the group’s spirit lives on in the many St. Louis musicians who cut their chops learning to play in BAG’s community arts classes. Among those featured in the film are Lake, Hemphill, Charles “Bobo” Shaw, Malinke Elliott, Hamiet Bluiett, J.D. Parran, Portia Hunt, Shirley LeFlore, George Sams, Percy Green II, Patricia Cruz, Ben Looker, and Dennis Owsley."

Dematteis, Sams, and founding BAG members Malinke Elliott and Oliver Lake also have recorded a Q&A session, which will be available to watch online following screenings of the film.

For more information on how to purchase access and stream The Black Artists' Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement, go here.

(Earlier this year, StLJN ran a series of six "Saturday Video Showcase" posts highlighting the work and musical legacy of various BAG members: Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.)

Other music-related films that will be screening as part of SLIFF this year include:

Zappa: Directed by former St. Louisan Alex Winter (Bill in the Bill & Ted... movies), this documentary about the late guitarist and composer "had unfettered access to the Zappa family trust and its vast trove of archival footage." It includes interviews with Frank Zappa’s widow, the late Gail Zappa, plus former sidemen such as Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Bunk Gardner, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White, and more.

River City Drumbeat: A documentary about Louisville, KY music educator Edward “Nardie” White and the after-school community drum corps he has led for nearly 30 years.

The Oratorio: Co-Directed by former St. Louisan Mary Anne Rothberg and Martin Scorsese, this documentary tells "the story of an 1826 performance that forever changed America’s cultural landscape with the introduction of Italian opera to New York City."

The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts "The Tonight Show": A documentary that recounts how for one week in 1968, Belafonte "took a predominantly White institution and transformed it into a multicultural and political experience," featuring Black guests from entertainment, politics, and more.

The Ballad of John Henry: A documentary by St. Louis-based filmmaker Matthew Rice "provides a fresh perspective on the song and folk tale by exploring a myriad of related subjects."