Eric Reed will play a character based on Thelonious Monk, presumably with less dancing.
Eric Reed will play a character based on Thelonious Monk, presumably with less dancing.
Yes, we're skeptical too. But filmmaker David Chang has a promising idea. His father was a bartender at a New York club called the Jazz Gallery from 1959-1963; behind-the-bar anecdotes about the stars of the day will form the basis of Chaography: Variations On The Theme Of Freedom. Musicians of today like Stacy Dillard and Eric Reed will play fictional characters, loosely based on John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, respectively. Roles based on Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and Charles Mingus are also planned. And the soundtrack will be performed live on camera.
Chaography will be set in the present day, and as counterpoint to the music, the film will also follow a fictional Chinese-American couple, based on Chang's parents, as their lives interact with the musicians'. As the title suggests, the film will "map" contrasting musical approaches to freedom. Other points of note: the script is being designed for the musician-actors to improvise around, Dr. Ron Tifosky of the Jazz Foundation of America is executive producing, and the filmmakers are seeking financial support through a model similar to ArtistShare. Chang has set up a Facebook fan page; for more information, check out an extensive All About Jazz feature. [All About Jazz: 'Chaography': A New Kind of Jazz Film To Be Made]
Comments
Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.