As a long time fan of Lee Morgan, I went into this mentally prepared for a big letdown. I had wanted to get a clearer and more complete picture of his life before dying at the young age of 33. I wanted to know more about his previous wife, a Japanese American woman for whom he wrote songs and from whom he split amicably.
In the end though, what the director did was focus on the events that led to the shooting death of Mr. Morgan on a snowy night in New York City and at the hands of his on-again/off-again lover or common-law wife, depending on what perspective one takes. And as a result the film was tighter and more linear than it would have been otherwise.
Even if I hadn't been a fan of the music and of Lee Morgan in particular, I would have walked away from the movie impressed with the directorial skill (which includes interviews and editing) on display, but the fact that we manage to get so many great people on film, including Wayne Shorter, who is 83 years old, really sealed the deal for me.
As of this writing, there is only one other review up, and while I disagree with 97% of it, I agree that this ALSO could have been a very effective PBS radio broadcast or a podcast. But that does not give sufficient credit to this director who shot the material and people (and included the music and rare footage) with such a careful and appreciative eye as well as excellent cinematography.
This is the best jazz documentary I've ever seen and even if it focused on the woman who killed the star (that she previously nurtured back from addiction) it is very much worth seeing (and hearing). I highly recommend it if you have a chance to see it while it is in limited release.
Seen at Lincoln Performing Arts Center, NYC March 2017
In the end though, what the director did was focus on the events that led to the shooting death of Mr. Morgan on a snowy night in New York City and at the hands of his on-again/off-again lover or common-law wife, depending on what perspective one takes. And as a result the film was tighter and more linear than it would have been otherwise.
Even if I hadn't been a fan of the music and of Lee Morgan in particular, I would have walked away from the movie impressed with the directorial skill (which includes interviews and editing) on display, but the fact that we manage to get so many great people on film, including Wayne Shorter, who is 83 years old, really sealed the deal for me.
As of this writing, there is only one other review up, and while I disagree with 97% of it, I agree that this ALSO could have been a very effective PBS radio broadcast or a podcast. But that does not give sufficient credit to this director who shot the material and people (and included the music and rare footage) with such a careful and appreciative eye as well as excellent cinematography.
This is the best jazz documentary I've ever seen and even if it focused on the woman who killed the star (that she previously nurtured back from addiction) it is very much worth seeing (and hearing). I highly recommend it if you have a chance to see it while it is in limited release.
Seen at Lincoln Performing Arts Center, NYC March 2017