Local premiere of Black Artists Group documentary among music films at 2020 St. Louis International Film Festival

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."

Music films featured in 2014 St. Louis International Film Festival

As in years past, the 23rd annual St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), which starts this Thursday, November 13 and continues through Sunday, November 23, once again will feature a number of music-related films, including one of particular interest to jazz fans.

Waltz for Monica is a 2013 drama about the life of singer Monica Zetterlund, whose work in the 1960s helped popularize jazz in Scandinavia. It will be shown at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, November 15 and again at 4:15 p.m. next Wednesday, November 19 at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

Although Zetterlund didn't have a big impact in the USA - part of the film deals with the less-than-favorable reception she got in the States - she did record with pianist Bill Evans' trio in 1964, and modern day jazz fans also may recognize her from a series of YouTube videos documenting a 1966 performance with Evans' trio. The film has been called "a stunning tour-de-force" for Swedish singer/songwriter Edda Magnason (pictured), who makes her acting debut as Monica.

After the jump, you can find ticketing info and a list of all the other music-related films in this year's SLIFF...

Get free tickets to this weekend's screenings of new Clark Terry documentary

Keep On Keepin' On, the new documentary about trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry and his student Justin Kauflin, is getting a St. Louis run starting this Friday, October 31 and continuing through the following Thursday, November 6 at the Tivoli Theater, 6350 Delmar.

The film tells the story of the relationship between the nonagenarian Terry and Kauflin, a blind pianist in his early twenties, and has received almost universally positive reviews since its release last month, including a rave from the New York Times. You can see the trailer for Keep On Keepin' On in the embedded video window at the bottom of this post.

To help promote the St. Louis run, the film's publicity firm is giving away a limited number of free tickets for the showings at 7:15 p.m. this Friday, October 31; 2:15 p.m. this Saturday, November 1; and 2:15 p.m. this Sunday, November 2. The free tickets are limited to two per person; to sign up, go here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short local news items of interest:

* Pianist Reggie Thomas, who left St. Louis a couple of years ago to teach at Michigan State University, has a new job a bit closer to home this fall. Thomas (pictured) is the new head of the jazz studies program at Northern Illinois University, taking over after the retirement of the program's former director, saxophonist Ronald Carter (who also was Thomas' former high school band director in East St. Louis).

* The September edition of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz, hosted by Don Wolff, is available now for viewing on the cable network and online. The episode includes video of Miss Jubilee performing at Casa Loma Ballroom, a "day in the life" feature about trumpeter Sean Jones, and more. Check your TV provider's listing for days, times and channel, or watch online here.

* The Tuesday jazz jam sessions formerly held at Robbie's House of Jazz, which ended earlier this year when the club closed, have returned to Webster Groves at the Ozark Theatre, where former Robbie's GM Dorothy Edwards now is presenting jazz performances on the weekends. The newly revived jam sessions will begin at 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday, with no admission or cover charge.

* Six St. Louis area classical music organizations are teaming up to offer a program for students called the Concert Pass Collaborative (CPC). For a $15 annual fee, students with a valid ID can purchase the pass, which is good for admission to any event produced by the six participating organizations (as long as there's a seat available). Groups taking part include the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, The Sheldon's classical series, St. Louis Classical Guitar Society, Chamber Project St. Louis, St. Louis Women’s Hope Chorale, Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, and you can get more information on the offer here.

* The Kranzberg Arts Center will present a screening of the new film Finding Fela, a documentary about Afrobeat musician and bandleader Fela Kuti, next Friday, October 3.

* In conjunction with the label's 65th anniversary, Prestige Records is giving away a set of 20 CDs reissue of albums remastered by famed engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Get details and enter to win here.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will feature the music of saxophonist, composer and former St. Louisan Julius Hemphill via Hemphill's recordings asa  leader and as a member of the World Saxophone Quartet, plus interpretations of his work by others including saxophonist Tim Berne. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

2013 SLIFF schedule includes music documentaries, live performances

The 2013 St. Louis International Film Festival has released its complete schedule for this year, and once again it includes several programs of potential interest to jazz fans.

Now in its 22nd year and billed as "one of the largest international film festivals in the Midwest," SLIFF this year will present more than 350 films from November 14 through November 24 at venues including the Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University's Brown Hall Auditorium, the Wildey Theatre, and the new KDHX headquarters in Grand Center.

As part of the festival, New Music Circle will present composer Olivia Block and filmmakers Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder (pictured) in a performance at 8:00 p.m. Friday, November 15 at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. The event will include "Dissolution," a solo piece for 4-channel sound by Block, and "Untitled," a collaborative work of "live cinema" for dual 16mm film projectors and electronic sound.

Tickets are $20 for regular admission. $10 for CAM members, students, and "struggling music lovers," and can be purchased in advance from Brown Paper Tickets or at the door.

Block, Gibson and Recoder also will present a free workshop and talk at 1:00 p.m. the next day, Saturday November 16, at CAM, at which they'll demonstrate their extended techniques and approaches to film and sound. This event is free and open to the public.

Other offerings of potential interest to jazz fans include:

* Bayou Maharaja: The Tragic Genius of James Booker, a biography of New Orleans pianist James Booker, will be screened at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, November 16 at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium. Tickets are $12.

Booker, who seems inevitably described as an eccentric genius, was a virtuoso performer who was widely respected on the New Orleans music scene during the 1960s and 70s. The film, lauded by the Hollywood Reporter as "a must-see for aficionados of New Orleans jazz," explores the his life and the reasons why he never achieved breakout stardom.

Director Lily Keber will participate in a post-film Q&A, and the screening also will include an hour-long, Booker-inspired performance by pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott, who's become known as something of a New Orleans music scholar since moving there in the mid-1980s.

* The Pleasures of Being Out of Step, which looks at the life and work of journalist, author and critic Nat Hentoff, will play at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, November 17 and again at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, November 24, both times at KDHX, 3524 Washington Blvd. Tickets are $12.

Hentoff has written prolifically over the past 60 years about jazz, civil liberties, and other subjects for the Village Voice, the New Yorker, DownBeat, Jazz Times and many other publications, and has authored many books, both non-fiction and novels. He also has a St. Louis connection, as his daughter Jessica Hentoff lives here and runs the Circus Harmony foundation and school. She will in attendance at both screenings, and the film's director David L. Lewid also will be on hand on November 24.

Other music-related films showing during the festival include Harlem Street Singer, about the late blues and gospel performer Rev. Gary Davis; Something in the Water, a locally produced documentary recounting the "Real Rock Radio" glory days of St. Louis mainstay KSHE (94.7 FM); and more. You can see a listing of all the festival's music-related films here.

Tickets are now on sale for all shows, with direct links to buy tickets on each film page. For more about purchasing tickets and all-access passes, see the site's "venues and tickets" page.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short local news items of interest:

* Update - 8/24/12, 12:30 p.m: The HEC-TV program I Love Jazz is looking for audience members for the recording of a performance by Bach to the Future next Tuesday afternoon, August 28 at Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Ave. in Maplewood. Doors open at 4:00 p.m., the show starts at 4:30 and should wrap up by 6:00 p.m. There's no charge to attend, but if interested, you do need to make a reservation by emailing producer Madeline Dames at maddie @ damesandassociates.com.

* The St. Louis Beacon this week published a two-part article by Southern Illinois University Carbondale journalism teacher Paul Povse looking at how the legacy of Miles Davis currently is being treated in Alton, where the trumpeter was born, and in East St. Louis, where he grew up.

* Online voting is open for the the Riverfront Times' annual "Best of St. Louis" poll. You can cast your vote for your favorite local bands & musicians, restaurants, attractions, and much more here.

* And speaking of the RFT, this also is the week for the paper's Fall Arts Guide, which includes previews of some upcoming jazz and classical music concerts by writers Ryan Wasoba and Nicole Beckert.

* Jazz St. Louis will present a preview party offering "a behind-the-scenes look at its 2012-13 Jazz at the Bistro Season," at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 6 at the Bistro. Executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford and artistic director Bob Bennett will give a multi-media presentation on the season line-up and how JSL puts together their schedule. The event is free and open to the public, with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, water and tea provided and a cash bar available. If you've like to attend, RSVP by Tuesday, September 4 to JSL's Devin Rodino by calling 314-289-4030 or sending an email to devin@jazzstl.org.

* Sarah Lebeau & Friends and Miss Jubilee are the winners of the second round in the "Webster's Got Talent" contest to select an opening act for the Allen Avenue Stage at the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival on Saturday, September 15. They'll compete against Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes and Ron Wilkerson and Friends in the contest's finale at 7:00 p.m. next Thursday, August 30 at Robbie's House of Jazz.

* Ornette In America, the rare 1985 documentary about saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman (pictured) by filmmaker Shirley Clarke, will be screened by the Webster University Film Series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 26; Saturday, October 27; and Sunday, October 28. Tickets are $6 for general admission, $5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools, $4 for Webster University staff and faculty, and free for Webster students with ID.

(Edited after posting.)

2009 St. Louis International Film Festival to screen Chops and Icons Among Us, plus more music-related movies

The 18th annual St. Louis International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, November 12 and continues through Sunday, November 22, once again will feature the St. Louis premieres of several recent music-related movies, including two that should be of particular interest to jazz fans.

The first of those two films is Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense, which is based on the Documentary Channel's four-part series of the same name and will be shown at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, November 17 at the Tivoli Theatre. The film examines the contemporary jazz scene through interviews with 75 artists and live recordings culled from 25 hours of concerts, spotlighting musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, Bill Frisell, Ravi Coltrane, Medeski Martin & Wood, The Bad Plus and East St. Louis native Russell Gunn.



Then on Sunday, November 21, Jazz St. Louis and SLIFF will co-sponsor a free screening of Chops starting at 6:00 p.m. at Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood Ave. on the campus of Webster University. The film tells the story of kids in an acclaimed public-school jazz program in Jacksonville, Florida, and will be followed by a discussion led by pianist Reggie Thomas, who teaches music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and serves as a judge for the Essentially Ellington festival, which is depicted in the film.



Other music-related movies in the 2009 St. Louis International Film Festival, listed here in order of their screening dates, will include:

1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 14 at the Tivoli
Branson focuses on three entertainers in "the Vegas of outstate Missouri," including Jackson Cash, "an astonishingly good Man in Black impersonator whose own troubles with addiction parallel those of his idol."

3:30 p.m., Saturday, November 14 at the Tivoli
Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie tells the "outlandish but true" story of countercultural phenomenon Wavy Gravy (a.k.a Hugh Romney), a poet and proto-performance artist who roomed with Dylan and opened Greenwich Village’s coffeehouses to folk singers; boarded the Magic Bus with Ken Kesey; founded the Hog Farm commune; and emceed Woodstock; and now works to restore the eyesight of impoverished people worldwide through the Seva Foundation.

9:15 p.m., Sunday, November 15 at Plaza Frontenac Cinema
4:30 p.m., Monday, November 16 at Plaza Frontenac Cinema
The Drummer (Zhan gu) is a Chinese drama about the son of a Hong Kong gang boss forced to flee to Taiwan, where he meets a group of Zen drummers. He joins the group and remakes his life, until twist of fate forces him to choose between loyalty to his family and his newfound faith in himself.

9:00 p.m. Thursday, November 19 at the Tivoli
Say My Name is a documentary from the Netherlands about female hip-hop performers. The film features interviews and musical performances from Remy Ma, Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Erykah Badu and Estelle, as well as pioneers MC Lyte, Roxxanne Shante and Monie Love and newcomers Chocolate Thai, Invincible and Miz Korona.

7:00 p.m. Friday, November 20 at the Tivoli
Old Dog, New Trick and The Pride of St. Louis are rock documentaries featuring St. Louis musicians who gained fame during the 1970s. Old Dog, New Trick follows Steve Scorfina, formerly of Pavlov’s Dog and REO Speedwagon, as he balances a life in antiques-dealing with a re-launched career as a blues-rock bandleader, guitarist and vocalist, while The Pride of St. Louis recycles the name of the filmed biography of Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean to tell the history of blues/rock band Mama’s Pride and its key members, singer/guitarists and brothers Pat and Danny Liston.

7:00 p.m., Friday, November 20 at Winifred Moore Auditorium
Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love features concert and behind-the-scenes footage of the African music star as he travels the world with his elaborate “Egypt” concert tour.

9:00 p.m. Friday, November 20 at Winifred Moore Auditorium
Rise Up features up and coming reggae performers Turbulence, Ice and Kemoy plus established stars Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, shot on location in the streets, back alleys and crowded dancehalls of Kingston and the countryside.

2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 21 at the Tivoli
See What I’m Saying is a documentary that follows four deaf entertainers - an actor, a comic, a rock drummer and a singer - over the course of a single year.

1:00 p.m., Sunday, November 22 at the Tivoli
The Choir was shot over four years in Leeuwkop, South Africa’s largest prison, and records "the inspiring efforts of a bank robber to transform his life – and those of his fellow inmates – through song." The documentary focuses on a 19-year-old newcomer, Jabulani, who initially resists the choirmaster’s guidance but eventually becomes a key member of the group as they compete for a victory at the National Prison Choir Competition.

For a complete festival schedule, plus ticket and venue information, visit the SLIFF Web site.

(Edited 11/3/04 to reflect the fact that Reggie Thomas, not Phil Dunlap, now will be leading the discussion after the screening of Chops.)

Bela Fleck documentary Throw Down Your Heart playing tonight and Sunday at Webster University

Via Joe Williams' movie blog at the Post-Dispatch: The documentary film Throw Down Your Heart, which features banjo player Bela Fleck traveling across Africa learning about the history of his instrument and performing with African musicians, will play at 8:00 p.m. tonight and Sunday night at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

The film previously was shown in St. Louis last fall as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival, and Fleck's "Africa Project" tour came to the Sheldon Concert Hall in April. For more information about this weekend's screenings of Throw Down Your Heart, call 314-968-748 or visit the Webster film series Web site.

William Hooker interviewed by Post-Dispatch

Drummer William Hooker, known for his participation in the NYC loft jazz scene of the 1970s as well as for working with members of the avant rock group Sonic Youth, will be in St. Louis on Saturday night to perform a live soundtrack for a screening of The Symbol of the Unconquered at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

The 1920 film was directed by pioneering African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux and is being shown as part of the Webster University Film Series. The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson did a brief interview with Hooker about the project, available online here.

UPDATE: You can see the first part of the 54-minute film and hear an excerpt of one of Hooker's previous soundtrack performances in the video window embedded below. Note that while the video features Hooker's quartet, he will be performing solo at Webster U - something he alludes to in his interview with Wilson. The six other parts of the film and soundtrack performance, which was segmented to meet YouTube's requirements, can be accessed from this page.

Chet Baker biopic playing at the Tivoli through February 15

Let's Get Lost, the 1988 film biography of jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker (pictured), has been re-released to movie theaters in a new 35mm print, and will play the Tivoli Theatre in University City from Friday, February 8 through Friday, February 15.

Filmmaker Bruce Weber traveled extensively with Baker during the last year of the trumpeter's life to capture rare performance footage and interviews for the film, which won the 1989 Critics Prize at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. St. Louis Post-Dispatch movie critic Joe Williams reviews the re-release of Let's Get Lost here.

Jazz On A Summer's Day gets free screening at Mondo Video

Mondo Video, a new independent DVD store on the South Side that specializes in esoteric and offbeat films, will host a free screening of Jazz On A Summer's Day at 2 p.m. this Sunday, July 1.

Considered a prototype of the concert film genre, Jazz On A Summer's Day documents the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and features performances by Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Dinah Washington, Jimmy Giuffre and more.

Located at 2834 Cherokee, Mondo Video offers free showings of complete films, most rarely seen and/or hard to obtain, on its big-screen TV most weekend afternoons. You can read more about the store and proprietor Mark Williams in Steve Pick's article from the June issue of St. Louis magazine, available online here.