"Jazz is Spoken Here"

Produced and Directed by Nancy Yasecko
When: 1pm Friday April 4 2003
Where: HCC Ybor Room

The film will be shown again at 1:30pm Saturday, April 5, 2003, at the HCC Ybor Room.

Ellis Marsalis

The film Ellis Marsalis: Jazz is Spoken Here profiles the renowned pianist, influential teacher, inspirational role model, and father of distinguished musicians Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis. The hour-long program features outstanding musical performances.

Interviews with Marsalis' well-known sons, Branford, Wynton, and Delfeayo, and with musicians and teachers Danny Barker, Donald Harrison, and Kidd Jordan of the Jazz and Heritage School of Music affirm Marsalis' message of musical and personal integrity.

In Ellis Marsalis: Jazz is Spoken Here, Marsalis talks about teaching musicians and children, and what he has learned about music and life. The documentary observes him at the University of New Orleans, wearing his two hats, "teacher" and "coach," pulling out performances and sharing music theory in an easy, unaffected way. The program also visits the high-school big band class at the New Orleans Center for Contemporary Arts, where Marsalis established a jazz program that produced a generation of nationally recognized jazz musicians and is now sowing the seeds of the next.

Original jazz recordings provide an evocative backdrop that propels the program. From the opening sequence with James Black's "Whistle Stop," to Danny Barker's signature "Save the Bones for Henry Jones," and a Gershwin duet with Marcus Roberts, the music tells its own story. Finally, the program pulls it all together in an intimate rehearsal and stage performance with Ellis and his sons Branford, Delfeayo and Jason as they play a poignant "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and wail on "Br'er Rabbit" (an original composition by Delfeayo).

Ellis Marsalis: Jazz is Spoken Here, showcases thoughtful interviews and vibrant renditions of America's musical art. It provides evidence that a life lived to the fullest is one that combines a personal struggle for excellence and a commitment to younger generations.