Watch this award-winning one hour special (edited from the R-rated 92 min feature length film of the same name on AppleTV and Amazon Prime) with Colorado’s iconic jazz masters: Ron Miles, Mitch Chmara, Charles Burrell, Dianne Reeves, Freddy Rodriguez Sr, Ellyn Rucker, Dave Randon, Teresa Carroll and more! https://www.jazzis.com
JazzTown is a captivating exploration of the vibrant jazz scene in Denver, Colorado delving deep into the cultural roots, artistic expressions, and community impact of this celebrated musical genre. Directed by Ben Makinen, an esteemed filmmaker known for his insightful documentaries, and featuring five-time Grammy Award winning singer Dianne Reeves, “JazzTown” has garnered praise for its rich storytelling and compelling portrayal of internationally acclaimed jazz musicians, venues, and the broader cultural landscape.
REVIEWS!!
“JazzTown is a great movie! It is truly a triumph!!” ~ Chris Daniels, Executive Director Colorado Music Hall of Fame, assistant professor UCD College of Arts & Media
“JazzTown has taught me a lot. But its visual beauty – terrific cinematography and deft editing – is just as important. The tone is warm and inviting, aligning perfectly with the intimate feeling of the interviews.” ~ John Gennari, professor of English, Critical Race, and Ethnic Studies at the University of Vermont; author of “Blowin’ Hot and Cool: Jazz and its Critics”
“A very interesting film filled with interesting stories – some of which would have been otherwise lost to history. Jazz fans will find JazzTown to be of strong interest.” ~ Scott Yanow, jazz author/historian, “Jazz for Film”
“An incredible film and beautiful piece of art!” ~ Cynthia Lee Chan, Classical Feng Shui ltd.
“A Lovely film!” ~ Staci Griesbach, Sony Pictures, VP Marketing
“Remarkable!” ~ Neil Haverstick, winner of Ultimate Guitar Competition, Guitar Player Magazine
“JazzTown is a wonderful achievement!” ~ Gregory Walker, professor of music University of Colorado Denver, concertmaster Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
“JazzTown is an important film that directly addresses today’s jazz musician’s dilemma of connecting modern creativity to the Art form’s founding era that is quickly slipping away. It preserves these important voices of today’s jazz music scene in an intimate and personal way. This film should be mandatory for all up and coming musicians.” ~ Dr Thomas Ball, educator, composer, trombone, euphonium
“Terrific film featuring Denver’s best jazz musicians and is full of history – catch it now before your memories of such venues as El Chapultepec totally fade!” ~ Barb Dye, President, Colorado Music Business Organization (COMBO)
CALL FOR UNDERWRITERS!
My mother asked me why I’m not rich and famous yet – certainly a reasonable question from a loving and concerned mother – and the reality is that PBS does not pay filmmakers anything to license their films.
Rather, it is up to the film-makers to find their own underwriters, and ideally they secure funding before they begin filming. Having been my first rodeo, I shot from the hip and asked questions later: I sold my belongings and I made JazzTown and then began learning how one markets an indie jazz documentary.
If you know of anyone who has a business or foundation that would like to support arts in the Rocky Mountain community while reaching the approximately one million people who visit the PBS site weekly, in addition to the exposure on radio stations and social media, please have them contact me directly – I can make them a smokin’ deal!
Ben
Bmakin Film
https://www.benmakinen.com
July 18, 2024| Colorado Music-Related Business| Barb Dye