Imagine hanging out with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, hearing them jam together, trading riffs, then riffing with words and trading stories. Bird and Diz are gone, but giants still walk among us. One of those giants is Buster Williams. Buster has played with everyone - Miles, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Art Blakey, and on. In this intimate portrait, Buster trades stories, and plays, with some of the world's greatest musicians - Benny Golson, Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride and others, and takes us on a journey through his life, legacy, and America's greatest art form - the truly universal music called Jazz.
For London-bred band Bones UK, every song is a chance to speak their minds, and to the shed light on the disconnect between the status quo and the far more glorious world inside their heads. Bones UK delivers a raw and passion-filled performance in an intimate location with a very diverse audience.
On the liner notes to Freak Out!, the 1967 debut album by Zappa's original band the Mothers of Invention, Zappa listed some seventy-two names on the liner notes and cited them as influences. The Freak Out List intends to explore who these artists are and what influence they had on Zappa's music. This listing encompasses all sorts of music, from classical composer Edgar Varese to R&B star Johnny "Guitar" Watson to jazzman Eric Dolphy to flamenco guitarist Sabicas. You can hear for instance, how the esoteric classical influence of Varese shaped Zappa's long-form epics like "Lumpy Gravy" or how Dolphy's instrumental prowess led Zappa to incorporate jazz-fusion on albums like Weasels Ripped My Flesh! (1970), which even included a song titled "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue." Interviews with various Zappa biographers and music historians as well as musicians George Duke, Ian Underwood, and Don Preston, all of whom played in the Mothers at one time or another, help add additional context.
This film follows Montreal-based thrash-metal band "Dealer" over the course of one weekend, for shows in both Toronto and the bands hometown of Windsor, Ontario.
Travel Hymn is an intimate look inside the process of creating, touring and promoting Circa Survive’s acclaimed major label debut, Blue Sky Noise. Following the five members over the course of 2 years & 8 countries between 2009 & 2011, the previously unreleased film inspects the adventurous and at times tumultuous process of releasing and touring on an album.
A live concert film from Brooklyn-based power-funk outfit Turkuaz showcasing their energetic splashes of funk, alternative, rock, R&B, and psychedelia. The none’s ignite an explosion of energy punctuated by neon hues, deft musicality, and show-stopping singalongs with male-female harmonies, strutting guitars, wild horn arrangements, and interminable grooves. Touring incessantly over the better part of the last decade, the group has organically animated a movement of devout followers and graced stages at legendary theaters and festivals across the country and abroad. None’s A Ton encapsulates an exciting era of the band as it evolves into the next decade.
Within this intuitive interpretation of Pink Floyd's music, there are secrets, enigmas and metaphors. The narrative is open ended, therefore open to individual interpretation, along the lines of: In the parallel worlds of the past and the future, two tribes struggle to survive on a dying planet, while attempting to communicate with the life force of earth itself. As time runs out, a monolith approaches from outer space, carrying within it a puzzle which they fail to understand. Is it a warning, or does it contain the secret to the survival of mankind?
An intimate portrait detailing The Matches' promising career, defeating break up, and inspiring reunion as they reflect on what success truly means for musicians in today's digital industry. The Matches' story overlaps with the drastic changes the music industry has undergone in the past several years. From declining record sales, to excessive touring, to illegal downloading and streaming.
One of the most recognizable figures in contemporary music, Beyoncé rose to fame as the central member of pop-R&B group Destiny's Child before embarking on a multi-platinum, record-breaking solo career in 2001. Booming record sales, Grammy awards, movie roles, and marriage to rapper & CEO Jay-Z, combined to heighten her profile in the 2000s. Billboard named her female artist of the decade, while the R.I.A.A. acknowledged that, through 64 gold and platinum certifications, she was the decade's top-selling artist. Once she released her fifth solo album in 2013, it was evident that the singer, songwriter, and dancer wasn't merely an entertainer but a progressive artist as well. Get lost in the ultimate story of modern day superstardom, as we take you through the incredible Journey of Beyoncé.
Ruled by social media and internet fame, today's music industry has become much more about industry and much less about music. We judge music by the numbers associated with it, and often times we listen with our eyes. This phenomenon inspired a group of music industry dropouts to embark on a 10,000-mile tour through big cities and small towns in search of talented musicians that have fallen through the cracks. The mission is to create an album of original music, produced on the road in a collaborate manner, that tells the stories of our unsung musical heroes
Westlife are back! It’s been 20 years since they smashed into the charts in 1999 with ‘Swear It Again’ and went on to achieve a staggering 14 number one UK singles, selling 55 million records worldwide. Now, their highly anticipated reunion tour – which is their fastest selling one – is coming to cinemas worldwide on Saturday 6 July. The final spectacular show of the UK and Ireland leg of the ‘The Twenty Tour’ will be broadcast LIVE to cinemas from Dublin’s iconic Croke Park stadium. Irish heartthrobs Shane, Nicky, Mark and Kian will perform brand-new music alongside their greatest hits and all 14 of their UK No.1 singles, including ‘Uptown Girl’ ‘Flying Without Wings', ‘You Raise Me Up’ and 'If I Let You Go'.
Sister filmmakers Julie Simone and Vicki Vlasic return to their Appalachian roots to film at the world's oldest Fiddler's Convention. With multiple generations jamming together, Fiddlin' is a love-letter to American roots and the uplifting power of music.
Twenty years after an acrimonious break-up, rock band "The Spiders" are asked to re-form as the subject of a Reality Show. However, the band's original producer and songwriter is now living in Thailand, forcing the four remaining members to abandon their mundane lives, to once more pursue their quest for "Glory Days".
In celebration of her upcoming new album Hymn, best-selling soprano Sarah Brightman is in cinemas with an incredible performance. HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert was captured live for the big screen from the Festspielhaus in the enchanted Bavarian Alps, known for the historic and captivating Neuschwanstein Castle. Staged in two acts, the performance is a hybrid of a musical film, a classical-crossover program and a large-scale concert production. Brightman is accompanied by her band, the Munich orchestra, a 50-voice choir and the Ludwig Ensemble of dancers. The concert was conceived and created by Sarah Brightman, Anthony Von Laast (Mamma Mia, Beauty and the Beast), and Frank Peterson (Enigma, Andrea Bocelli). Filmed using state-of-the-art video and audio technologies, cinema audiences will also enjoy an exclusive “making of” feature.