Friday, August 27, 2010

“Jazz Great Trumpets Louis Armstrong In Silent Film”

“Jazz Great Trumpets Louis Armstrong In Silent Film”


Jazz Great Trumpets Louis Armstrong In Silent Film

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 06:02 PM PDT

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A new silent film celebrates one of the most-beloved musicians of all time, Louis Armstrong. Monday night at the Apollo Theater, Wynton Marsalis will lead an array of musicians in a live score for the film "Louis." It's one of only five tour dates across the country. NY1 Arts Reporter Stephanie Simon filed the following preview of the event.

The new silent film "Louis" imagines turn-of-the-century New Orleans, as seen through the eyes of a young Louis Armstrong.

Wynton Marsalis composed the score and will lead an ensemble of musicians in live musical accompaniment when it's performed Monday at the Apollo, and as it tours several cities from Chicago to Philadelphia.

Writer/director Dan Pritzker says it is definitely not a biopic on Louis Armstrong.

"Armstrong referred to himself as great observer of people and I think that the narrative here follows this little boy as he's seeing, you know, the color of New Orleans in 1907," Pritzker says. "And so I think having it be from a little boy's perspective allows for a much more whimsical approach to the thing."

The film is more a celebration of the time period than the story of Louis Armstrong rise to the world's most-beloved jazz musician.

"Once Armstrong got to Chicago in 1922, just about every minute of his life is known," says Pritzker. "When you start talking about the seven year old, not much is known, and because it's through the eyes of a child, it allowed me a lot of free reign to explore different whimsical narratives."

Pritzker takes a mythical approach to the whole era. And the movie harkens back to old films and melodramatic storylines. While it may look like a black and white film, it's actually a highly-desaturated color film.

For now, the filmmakers plan to tour the film with live musical accompaniment, but hope to eventually give it a wide release with a recorded score.

"I think what we'll do is probably attach Wynton's soundtrack to the film at some point, and do some sort of theatrical release and then a DVD release," says Pritzker. "But right now, I'd like to see it out there as a live vehicle."

And why not; it's a step back in time to a wonderful world.

For more information on the film, go to louiethemovie.com.

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