Ha! Knew the title alone would get some of you! A few years ago, I put this same subject up under a different title, but got no response. Lety's hope that I get some now!
As a jazz fan, I know that there are not many movies on jazz, and the ones that are out there, have been at best mediocre.ROUND MIDNIGHT was a great movie, but it showed the jazz musician in a stereotypical way:jazz musician as alcoholic/drug addict who needs help from fan/friend to restore his greatness,MO' BETTER BLUES, on the other hand shows jazz musician as myopic in his intents on making music his way, and womanizing;juggling two women along the way. I know that there are more movies about jazz, but right now, these are the two that come to mind.
However, there are certain movies that do break the stereotype, and one of them is the classic documentary, JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY. If any of you have seen it, you'll agree that it's a very beautiful and positive look at jazz;if any of you have never seen it,rent it from NETFLIX, or some such outlet, or even take it out from your local library(that's how I got to see the movie.)It takes place at the Newport Jazz Festival FIFTY TWO YEARS AGO, and was produced, directed and photographed by acclaimed photographer Bert Stern.It has Thelonius Monk,Loius Armstrong,Anita O' Day, Dinah Washington,Mahalia Jackson, and The Chico Hamilton Group.
While I was looking at the Chico Hamilton set, the group was playing an innovative,experimental Afro-Cuban number.The guitarist-a young, handsome,dark haired swarthy looking guy-played absolutely great,but also somehow looked naggingly familiar.I kept looking and looking like'I've seen that guy somewhere before', then it hit me-'that's John Pisano from the Tijuana Brass!' Yep, before he played with The Brass, he was in the Chico Hamilton Group, playing music vastly different from what he was doing with the Brass. So the TJB TV specials wasn't the first time John made his debut before the cameras...it was this movie that most likely marked John's film debut!
Speaking of JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY, I noticed some scenes in the movie looked somewhat familiar to some of the scenes that I saw in Herb's TV specials. The Taste Of Honey video from the first Singer special?(which, by the way is getting a lot of hits on youtube)Where Herb and the Brass are playing at the beach,then Herb is playing on the rocks where the tide is crashing against the rocks? There is a scene in JOASD where a BRASS BAND is playing on the rocks in the water! But this scene takes place at dusk. Also, the concert footage in The Beat Of The Brass reminds me of the concert footage in JOASD, whatwith the concerts being outdoors,and also at night,at that.Coincidence,huh?
Probably what happened was that the producers/directors of Herb's specials most likely saw this innovative movie, and to make them different from the variety shows of the era, put Herb and the Brass in different settings that were influenced by JOASD, than the usual variety show schlock,which would take place in a studio,surrounded by dancing girls and stupid comedy routines.
As I end this,has anybody seen John Pisano lately in some new videos?(smile)
As a jazz fan, I know that there are not many movies on jazz, and the ones that are out there, have been at best mediocre.ROUND MIDNIGHT was a great movie, but it showed the jazz musician in a stereotypical way:jazz musician as alcoholic/drug addict who needs help from fan/friend to restore his greatness,MO' BETTER BLUES, on the other hand shows jazz musician as myopic in his intents on making music his way, and womanizing;juggling two women along the way. I know that there are more movies about jazz, but right now, these are the two that come to mind.
However, there are certain movies that do break the stereotype, and one of them is the classic documentary, JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY. If any of you have seen it, you'll agree that it's a very beautiful and positive look at jazz;if any of you have never seen it,rent it from NETFLIX, or some such outlet, or even take it out from your local library(that's how I got to see the movie.)It takes place at the Newport Jazz Festival FIFTY TWO YEARS AGO, and was produced, directed and photographed by acclaimed photographer Bert Stern.It has Thelonius Monk,Loius Armstrong,Anita O' Day, Dinah Washington,Mahalia Jackson, and The Chico Hamilton Group.
While I was looking at the Chico Hamilton set, the group was playing an innovative,experimental Afro-Cuban number.The guitarist-a young, handsome,dark haired swarthy looking guy-played absolutely great,but also somehow looked naggingly familiar.I kept looking and looking like'I've seen that guy somewhere before', then it hit me-'that's John Pisano from the Tijuana Brass!' Yep, before he played with The Brass, he was in the Chico Hamilton Group, playing music vastly different from what he was doing with the Brass. So the TJB TV specials wasn't the first time John made his debut before the cameras...it was this movie that most likely marked John's film debut!
Speaking of JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY, I noticed some scenes in the movie looked somewhat familiar to some of the scenes that I saw in Herb's TV specials. The Taste Of Honey video from the first Singer special?(which, by the way is getting a lot of hits on youtube)Where Herb and the Brass are playing at the beach,then Herb is playing on the rocks where the tide is crashing against the rocks? There is a scene in JOASD where a BRASS BAND is playing on the rocks in the water! But this scene takes place at dusk. Also, the concert footage in The Beat Of The Brass reminds me of the concert footage in JOASD, whatwith the concerts being outdoors,and also at night,at that.Coincidence,huh?
Probably what happened was that the producers/directors of Herb's specials most likely saw this innovative movie, and to make them different from the variety shows of the era, put Herb and the Brass in different settings that were influenced by JOASD, than the usual variety show schlock,which would take place in a studio,surrounded by dancing girls and stupid comedy routines.
As I end this,has anybody seen John Pisano lately in some new videos?(smile)
