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"Louis" Silent movie
accompanied by Wynton Marsalis at the
Apollo Theatre
review by Jon-Erik Kelso
The movie itself was a fun and interesting mix of old and new.
It is a silent movie, sort of B & W, but not really, some color.
It had older elements, felt like a Chaplin era movie at times,
and at times was clearly of the modern era.
It is not a documentary, and isn't based entirely on true events,
it's a fantasy based loosely on Louis Armstrong as a child in New
Orleans--partially,
and also focuses on some other characters in Storyville.
The story got a little corny at times, but it fit, to me, with the
mood it
was trying to create.
It feels a bit like a fairy tale for adults. Hey, there's even some
nudity--woohoo! heheh.
The score Wynton and conductor/orchestrator Andy Farber put together
for it
worked beautifully.
Really followed the action and moods on screen at any given moment.
There were some Jelly Roll Morton pieces, some by Wynton, a part of
West End
Blues,
some Ellington.... Purists might not like that some of the music was
from
later times,
as the movie is supposed to take place in 1907, or so. But this
didn't
bother me.
The song choices seemed very appropriate to me, enhanced the movie
in an
artful and expressive way.
And the cats played their a**** off! Wynton and Wycliffe Gordon were
on
fire.
There was a pianist named Cecile Licad who played some pieces by
Gottschalk that were more classical in style, but fit in
beautifully.
The ensembles were very tight. When they played a slow Morton blues,
they really put some feeling into it, and it was exciting.
The loose plan seems to be that it will go on the road again some
time next
year,
taking it to many more cities, and maybe even abroad.I loved it!
Maybe the Bolden movie will be out by late next year, too.
Jon |
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| By Marce,
Updated Sept. 18, 2010
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