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This is an excerpt from Oscar Micheaux’s classic 1925
silent film, Body and Soul, with an original jazz score by celebrated
trombonist and composer, Wycliffe Gordon. Stuart Math Films and
Coup de Cone Music co-produced this soundtrack recording, which
is available now, for the first time, on DVD.
The performance for this DVD was recorded live at the Lucas
Theatre in Savannah, GA on February 11, 2005 as part of a documentary
on Wycliffe Gordon that is being produced by Stuart Math. The
score is performed by an 18-piece jazz ensemble and features
some of the best jazz musicians working today (see below for
complete list of musicians). The performance was digitally recorded
and mixed to Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.
Wycliffe Gordon
Wycliffe Gordon, trombonist, composer and teacher, first came
to prominence when he was invited to join Wynton Marsalis’ septet
immediately following his graduation from college. He joined
the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in 1992. He is currently
on the jazz faculty at the Julliard School and travels and
performs widely.
Oscar Micheaux
Between 1910 and World War II, close to 500 movies were produced
by black film makers exclusively for segregated black audiences.
The most famous and successful of these film makers was Oscar
Micheaux (1884-1951). Over his career he produced 27 silent
films and 16 sound films and was the first African-American
to produce a feature-length sound film.
Many critics consider Body and Soul his masterpiece. The film
features the screen debut of the great black actor and singer
Paul Robeson, who stars in the film. Few have ever seen the original;
when the film was released in 1925 the New York Board of Censors
forced Micheaux to severely edit the film because of controversial
scenes showing a black preacher who was both a womanizer and
a drunk. The version of the film that is being released on this
DVD has been restored to its full length.
Musicians
Wycliffe Gordon, conductor & tb; Victor Goines, cl & ts;
Walter Blanding, ts; Ted Nash, fl & ts; Wess Anderson, as;
Joe Temperley, bs; Cyrus Chestnut, p; Aaron Diehl, p; Ron Westray,
tb; Andre Heyward, tb; Vince Gardner, tb; Bob Stewart, tuba;
Marcus Printup, tp; Mike Rodriguez, tp; Ryan Kisor, tp; Christian
Jaudes, tp; Herlin Riley, dr; Reginald Veal, bass.
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