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IMAGINE
THE SOUND
Cecil Taylor
Archie Shepp
Bill Dixon
Paul Bley
“The best documentary on free jazz that we have.”
- Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
filmswelike
24 Mercer Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1H3
filmswelike.com/ [email protected]/ 416.971.9131
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
IMAGINE THE SOUND brings together
interviews and performance, the prime innovators of the once-controversial free jazz
movement of the 60s.
SYNOPSIS:
The first feature documentary by Ron Mann
(GRASS, COMICBOOK CONFIDENTIAL) is an
eloquent tribute to a group of highly celebrated artists that helped forge the
avant-garde jazz of the 1960s.
Critic and film historian Jonathan Rosenbaum
has said IMAGINE THE SOUND “may be the
best documentary on free jazz that we have.”
The film features articulate interviews and dramatic
performances by pianists Cecil Taylor and Paul Bley,
tenor saxophone Archie Shepp, and trumpet player Bill
Dixon.
Not since Scorsese’s The Last Waltz has a music documentary
been so thorough and compatible with its subject.
Alongside the dynamic performances, the film captures the diverse
history and politicized roots of this unique musical genre.
IMAGINE THE SOUND is an important chapter in the history of
the jazz documentary.
NOTES ON THE RESTORATION
IMAGINE THE SOUND was digitally restored from its original 1981 release format in 16mm,
mono (optical) sound to HD (High Definition), 5.1 stereo.
A brand new low con print was struck from the original 16mm negative, for a widescreen HD
transfer on a Spirit DataCine; the sound was entirely remixed on ProTools from the original 35mm
stereo recorded master and 16mm magnetic dialogue tracks.
A NEW FORM OF JAZZ FILM
by Joe Medjuck
IMAGINE THE SOUND, Ron Mann’s first
feature length film, was made in 1981 when the
filmmaker was 23 years old.
Mann had already made several short films when he met
Bill Smith at an Archie Shepp concert in Toronto. Smith a
photographer and saxophonist, was editor of the jazz magazine
Coda and co-owner of Sackville Records. They agreed to co-produce
a film about music. Mann would direct and Smith would interview
four musicians influential in the evolution of free form jazz in the late
50s and early 60s -
Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Paul Bley and Bill Dixon.
Under the influence of his mentor Emile De Antonio, Mann created a performance-film/
documentary, which contradicts the traditions and clichés of both genres. Rather than shoot
the musicians in front of a live audience, he had them perform specifically for the film and the
film’s audience. Thus, there are no reaction shots of an audience to mediate between the music and
the viewer. No attempt is made to hide the camera or crew in either the interviews or the performances. In the latter case, multiple cameras were used and the musicians were asked to perform
pieces, which were less than 10 minutes long – the length of a standard film magazine – so that
editing of the music was not required. IMAGINE THE SOUND is the first part of a trilogy. Mann
has since made POETRY IN MOTION and COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL, which apply
similar strategies to poets and comic book artists.)
Breaking further with documentary traditions, Mann employed production designer, Sandy Kybartas. She gave each musician his own performance and interview background space. Taylor plays solo
piano in an all white space, Bley against a pitch black backdrop, Shepp is interviewed surrounded by
plants, Dixon in a room full of mirrors.
As much as the art direction and camera work added to the interviews, what makes them stand up to repeated
viewings is what the musicians have to say. The film does not attempt complete biographies, rather the musicians
talk of music, philosophy and life. They have wonderful stories to tell and they tell them with intelligence and wit.
Shepp of how he found his sound by listening to himself on records, Dixon of his constant rage when he first
came out of the Army, Bley of the first night he met Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. Both Shepp and Taylor
read their poetry. Taylor’s interview, like almost everything he does, becomes a performance piece with Taylor creating a dance as he approaches the piano. At one point Dixon says, “In this music the musicians are supposed to be
stupid.” Everything these four artists say and do contradicts the cliché of the jazz musician as an inarticulate,
primitive genius.
But the heart of this film is the performances. Ron Mann’s exquisite filming techniques mirror the spirit of the
music. In the Taylor pieces, the camera swoops towards and then around the piano. When Bley plays a pensive
composition, the camera recedes leaving him alone, almost in darkness. And, as Dixon’s trip and Shepp’s quartet
perform, multiple cameras hold tight on the musicians and cut to each artist as they solo.
During an interview Bill Smith lamented that the film wasn’t made twenty years earlier. Perhaps, but that would
have been a different film. IMAGINE THE SOUND catches these four men at the height of their powers. As
interview subjects, they have a perspective that evolved in the course of the twenty years of interplay between their
lives and music. As musicians they’ve added control and maturity to the ferocity of their early work.
This is great music and IMAGINE THE SOUND is a film worthy of it.
IMAGINE THE SOUND
CREDITS
Paul Bley
Bill Dixon
Archie Shepp
Cecil Taylor
with
Art Davis
Freddie Waits
Ken Werner
Santi de Briano
John Betch
Director - Ron Mann
Producers - Bill Smith/ Ron Mann
Editor - Sonya Polonsky
Cinematographer - Robert Fresco
Production Designer - Sandra Kybartas
Sound Recordist - David Joliat
Sound Engineer - Phil Sheridan
Production Consultant - Emile de Antonio
RE-MASTERING CREDITS
Producer - Ron Mann
Co-Producer - Alexa-Frances Shaw
Sound Editor - John Laing
SFX Editor - Dale Lennon
Mixer - Chris Cooke
Colourist - Steve Franko
Editor - Martin Spirit Fire
DVD PRODUCTON CREDITS
Menu Animation, Cover & Booklet Design - Mike Roberts
SPECIAL THANKS
Bill Imperial at Sphinx Productions, Michael Boyuk at filmswelike, Barry Simpson at the Art Gallery of
Ontario, Stephanie Cote at Cinematheque Quebecoise, Peter Kelly at DeluxeToronto, Margaret Dettmer at Video Post & Transfer, Caroline Yeager at the George Eastman House, Emma Davey, Katherine
Young, Katelyn Cursio, Illyan Frazier of InEdit Producciones and Peter Wintonick.
THE MUSICIANS
Cecil Taylor
Pianist and composer, poet, educator, eloquent
spokesman for his art, and “resolutely uncompromising” legend.. . His many albums include “Unit Structures”, “Silent Tongues”, and “Conquistador”. Cecil
played at The White House at the invitation of President Carter
Paul Bley
A native Montréaler, pianist Paul Bley’s work has appeared on over fifty albums. He has played with such
musical greats as Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and
Sonny Rollins, and was part of Los Angeles’ Hillcrest Club band along with Ornette Coleman, Don
Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. He has
been a member of the Jazz composers Orchestra,
and developed his own record company, Improvising
Artists.
Bill Dixon
Trumpeter and composer, Professor of Black Music at
Bennington College, Bill was a driving force behind the
60s October Revolution concerts in New York which
crystallized the free jazz movement.
Archie Shepp
Alongside the likes of John Coltrane and Coleman
Hawkins, Archie stands firm as a major saxophonist
A composer, actor, playwright and Archive has been
a professor in residence at the University of Amherst since 1975. His many albums include “The Way
Ahead”, “Fire Music”, “Four for Trane”, “Mama Too
Tight”, and “Goin Home”.
THE CREW
Ron Mann (Director, Co-Producer)
Toronto based director Ron Mann was only twenty-two years old when
he made his first feature Imagine The Sound. Since 1981, Ron has won
many awards for his documentaries, such as “COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL”
and “GRASS”, which are characterized by their exuberance and which focus
on aspects ofalternative culture.
Bill Smith (Interviewer, Co-Producer)
Writer, photographer, musician, record producer and art director/ editor of the internationally
read Coda Magazine, Bill Smith is a major exponent of jazz music.
Sonya Polonsky (Editor)
Sonya began her career as the production manager of “Woodstock”. After having worked
as an editors assistant on “ANNIE HALL” and “RAGING BULL”, Sonya went on to edit
“IMAGINE THE SOUND”. Other editorial credits include “MATEWAN” and HBO’s
“TALES OF THE CRYPT”.
Robert Fresco (Cinematographer)
Considered to be one of Canada’s finest cinematographers, Bob Fresco has collaborated with
Ron Mann on numerous documentaries including “IMAGINE THE SOUND”, “POETRY
IN MOTION”, “TWIST” and “GO FURTHER”. Bob continues to work on feature films,
commercials, documentaries and television series.
IMAGINE
THE SOUND
Remastered/ Colour/ 5.1 Stereo/ 90 mins
Directed by: RON MANN
Year of original production: 1981/ 2007
Country: Canada / Language: English
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(416) 971-9131
filmswelike
24 Mercer Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1H3
filmswelike.com/ [email protected]/ 416.971.9131