Cecil Taylor Archie Shepp Bill Dixon Paul Bley
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IMAGINE THE SOUND Cecil Taylor Archie Shepp Bill Dixon Paul Bley “The best documentary on free jazz that we have.” - Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader fi lms like 24 Mercer Street, Toronto,we Ontario, M5V 1H3 fi lmswelike.com/ [email protected]/ 416.971.9131 SHORT DESCRIPTION: IMAGINE THE SOUND brings together interviews and performance, the prime in- novators of the once-controversial free jazz movement of the 60s. SYNOPSIS: The fi rst feature documentary by Ron Mann (GRASS, COMICBOOK CONFIDENTIAL) is an eloquent tribute to a group of highly cel- ebrated artists that helped forge the avant-garde jazz of the 1960s. Critic and fi lm historian Jonathan Rosenbaum has said IMAGINE THE SOUND “may be the best documentary on free jazz that we have.” The fi lm features articulate interviews and dramatic performances by pianists Cecil Taylor and Paul Bley, tenor saxophone Archie Shepp, and trumpet player Bill Dixon. Not since Scorsese’s The Last Waltz has a music documentary been so thorough and compatible with its subject. Alongside the dynamic performances, the fi lm captures the diverse history and politicized roots of this unique musical genre. IMAGINE THE SOUND is an important chapter in the history of the jazz documentary. NOTES ON THE RESTORATION IMAGINE THE SOUND was digitally restored from its original 1981 release format in 16mm, mono (optical) sound to HD (High Defi nition), 5.1 stereo. A brand new low con print was struck from the original 16mm negative, for a widescreen HD transfer on a Spirit DataCine; the sound was entirely remixed on ProTools from the original 35mm stereo recorded master and 16mm magnetic dialogue tracks. A NEW FORM OF JAZZ FILM by Joe Medjuck IMAGINE THE SOUND, Ron Mann’s fi rst feature length fi lm, was made in 1981 when the fi lmmaker was 23 years old. Mann had already made several short fi lms when he met Bill Smith at an Archie Shepp concert in Toronto. Smith a photographer and saxophonist, was editor of the jazz magazine Coda and co-owner of Sackville Records. They agreed to co-produce a fi lm about music. Mann would direct and Smith would interview four musicians infl uential in the evolution of free form jazz in the late 50s and early 60s - Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Paul Bley and Bill Dixon. Under the infl uence of his mentor Emile De Antonio, Mann created a performance-fi lm/ documentary, which contradicts the traditions and clichés of both genres. Rather than shoot the musicians in front of a live audience, he had them perform specifi cally for the fi lm and the fi lm’s audience. Thus, there are no reaction shots of an audience to mediate between the music and the viewer. No attempt is made to hide the camera or crew in either the interviews or the perfor- mances. In the latter case, multiple cameras were used and the musicians were asked to perform pieces, which were less than 10 minutes long – the length of a standard fi lm magazine – so that editing of the music was not required. IMAGINE THE SOUND is the fi rst part of a trilogy. Mann has since made POETRY IN MOTION and COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL, which apply similar strategies to poets and comic book artists.) Breaking further with documentary traditions, Mann employed production designer, Sandy Kybar- tas. She gave each musician his own performance and interview background space. Taylor plays solo piano in an all white space, Bley against a pitch black backdrop, Shepp is interviewed surrounded by plants, Dixon in a room full of mirrors. As much as the art direction and camera work added to the interviews, what makes them stand up to repeated viewings is what the musicians have to say. The fi lm does not attempt complete biographies, rather the musicians talk of music, philosophy and life. They have wonderful stories to tell and they tell them with intelligence and wit. Shepp of how he found his sound by listening to himself on records, Dixon of his constant rage when he fi rst came out of the Army, Bley of the fi rst night he met Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. Both Shepp and Taylor read their poetry. Taylor’s interview, like almost everything he does, becomes a performance piece with Taylor creat- ing a dance as he approaches the piano. At one point Dixon says, “In this music the musicians are supposed to be stupid.” Everything these four artists say and do contradicts the cliché of the jazz musician as an inarticulate, primitive genius. But the heart of this fi lm is the performances. Ron Mann’s exquisite fi lming techniques mirror the spirit of the music. In the Taylor pieces, the camera swoops towards and then around the piano. When Bley plays a pensive composition, the camera recedes leaving him alone, almost in darkness. And, as Dixon’s trip and Shepp’s quartet perform, multiple cameras hold tight on the musicians and cut to each artist as they solo. During an interview Bill Smith lamented that the fi lm wasn’t made twenty years earlier. Perhaps, but that would have been a different fi lm. IMAGINE THE SOUND catches these four men at the height of their powers. As interview subjects, they have a perspective that evolved in the course of the twenty years of interplay between their lives and music. As musicians they’ve added control and maturity to the ferocity of their early work. This is great music and IMAGINE THE SOUND is a fi lm worthy of it. IMAGINE THE SOUND CREDITS Paul Bley Bill Dixon Archie Shepp Cecil Taylor with Art Davis Freddie Waits Ken Werner Santi de Briano John Betch Director - Ron Mann Producers - Bill Smith/ Ron Mann Editor - Sonya Polonsky Cinematographer - Robert Fresco Production Designer - Sandra Kybartas Sound Recordist - David Joliat Sound Engineer - Phil Sheridan Production Consultant - Emile de Antonio RE-MASTERING CREDITS Producer - Ron Mann Co-Producer - Alexa-Frances Shaw Sound Editor - John Laing SFX Editor - Dale Lennon Mixer - Chris Cooke Colourist - Steve Franko Editor - Martin Spirit Fire DVD PRODUCTON CREDITS Menu Animation, Cover & Booklet Design - Mike Roberts SPECIAL THANKS Bill Imperial at Sphinx Productions, Michael Boyuk at fi lmswelike, Barry Simpson at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Stephanie Cote at Cinematheque Quebecoise, Peter Kelly at DeluxeToronto, Margaret Dett- mer at Video Post & Transfer, Caroline Yeager at the George Eastman House, Emma Davey, Katherine Young, Katelyn Cursio, Illyan Frazier of InEdit Producciones and Peter Wintonick. THE MUSICIANS Cecil Taylor Pianist and composer, poet, educator, eloquent spokesman for his art, and “resolutely uncompromis- ing” legend.. His many albums include “Unit Struc- tures”, “Silent Tongues”, and “Conquistador”. Cecil played at The White House at the invitation of Presi- dent Carter Paul Bley A native Montréaler, pianist Paul Bley’s work has ap- peared on over fi fty albums. He has played with such musical greats as Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Sonny Rollins, and was part of Los Angeles’ Hill- crest Club band along with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. He has been a member of the Jazz composers Orchestra, and developed his own record company, Improvising Artists. Bill Dixon Trumpeter and composer, Professor of Black Music at Bennington College, Bill was a driving force behind the 60s October Revolution concerts in New York which crystallized the free jazz movement. Archie Shepp Alongside the likes of John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins, Archie stands fi rm as a major saxophonist A composer, actor, playwright and Archive has been a professor in residence at the University of Am- herst since 1975. His many albums include “The Way Ahead”, “Fire Music”, “Four for Trane”, “Mama Too Tight”, and “Goin Home”. THE CREW Ron Mann (Director, Co-Producer) Toronto based director Ron Mann was only twenty-two years old when he made his fi rst feature Imagine The Sound. Since 1981, Ron has won many awards for his documentaries, such as “COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL” and “GRASS”, which are characterized by their exuberance and which focus on aspects ofalternative culture. Bill Smith (Interviewer, Co-Producer) Writer, photographer, musician, record producer and art director/ editor of the internationally read Coda Magazine, Bill Smith is a major exponent of jazz music. Sonya Polonsky (Editor) Sonya began her career as the production manager of “Woodstock”. After having worked as an editors assistant on “ANNIE HALL” and “RAGING BULL”, Sonya went on to edit “IMAGINE THE SOUND”. Other editorial credits include “MATEWAN” and HBO’s “TALES OF THE CRYPT”. Robert Fresco (Cinematographer) Considered to be one of Canada’s fi nest cinematographers, Bob Fresco has collaborated with Ron Mann on numerous documentaries including “IMAGINE THE SOUND”, “POETRY Theatrical Bookings: USA IN MOTION”, “TWIST” and “GO FURTHER”. Bob continues to work on feature fi lms, Jason Leaf - [email protected] commercials, documentaries and television series. (646) 423-8236 Theatrical Bookings/ Sales: CANADA Michael Boyuk - [email protected] (416) 971-9131 IMAGINE THE SOUND Remastered/ Colour/ 5.1 Stereo/ 90 mins Directed by: RON MANN Year of original production: 1981/ 2007 Country: Canada / Language: English Online Press Kit Download images/ press kit/ watch video-clips www.sphinxproductions.com/pages/imagine.htm l Theatrical Bookings: USA Jason Leaf - [email protected] (646) 423-8236 Theatrical Bookings/ Sales: CANADA Michael Boyuk - [email protected] (416) 971-9131 fi lms like 24 Mercer Street, Toronto,we Ontario, M5V 1H3 fi lmswelike.com/ [email protected]/ 416.971.9131.