Before films began to talk, in the late 1920s, live musicians delivered the soundtracks for silent films. This was sometimes a single pianist or organist, sometimes a larger ensemble. We know that some jazz musicians, including Fats Waller and Count Basie, began their careers with this gig, which required both reading and improvising. Waller and Basie, by the way, retained a lifelong attachment to the organ.
The idea of providing live soundtracks to silent films has continued, with several ensembles and individuals providing sound for films by Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and others. A new and ambitious effort of this kind is being undertaken by Wynton Marsalis, in conjunction with Dan Pritzker, writer-director of a film called Louis. Although not a “biopic,” the film, set in New Orleans, is based on the early life of Louis Armstrong. Pritzker and Wynton were also collaborators on the 2019 film Bolden, which I reviewed for this publication (TST, June 2019, “The Syncopated Cinema”).
Louis was actually released in 2010. The film is beautifully photographed in black and white by Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. There are title cards but no spoken dialogue. Marsalis recorded the soundtrack, which included some music he’d previously written and some things he wrote specifically for the film. In a video call I recently held with Marsalis, we discussed the genesis of the project and plans for an upcoming tour.
“He [Pritzker] had taken his mother to see a Charlie Chaplin film,” Marsalis told me, “and he thought it would be hip to do a silent film with music that could span the gamut of what was being played at that time [turn of the 20th century]—Gottschalk music, march music…And all the tributaries to jazz-Ragtime, European parlor tradition, the vernacular tradition.”
Apart from music written by Marsalis, there is a lot of music written by 19th century composer Louis Gottschalk. I asked Marsalis why he used music that was written so long before the early 20th century. “Dan was interested in the progression from Gottschalk to Joplin to Jelly Roll,” Marsalis told me. “In the silent film era, the piano soundtrack was not one style. It could be ‘railroad’ music, diminished chords, arias from operas, western style, pre-stride, whatever it would take to convey the action.”
The Gottschalk material was recorded by classical pianist Cecile Licad. “Licad became involved because she was friends with Pritzer,” Marsalis told me, “And as it turned out, I knew her as well, as we were both signed by CBS Masterworks in the early 1980s and had the same A&R, Christine Reed.”
Marsalis also includes Ellington’s (Black and Tan Fantasy) and (Happy Go Lucky Blues), Morton’s (Black Bottom Stomp) and (New Orleans Bump), Nick LaRocca’s (Tiger Rag), and King Oliver’s (West End Blues) on the soundtrack. Marsalis said: “That’s part of what made it interesting and what makes it interesting to do and to play.” I mentioned that some of the music in chase scenes reminded me of Raymond Scott and Marsalis said: “That’s not purposeful, but I like his music. It’s very colorful. I’m very interested in orchestration.”
“All of the music was put on the film by Dan,” Marsalis said. “He determined how it would flow into the sound track, and he has good taste and understanding of that.”
For this tour, Marsalis has put together a large ensemble, mostly composed of musicians different from those who played on the 2010 score. He acknowledges that performing the music live with the film will be a challenge. “That music was difficult to play in 2010 and it’s still difficult to play with any kind of authority…It’s not easy, but we have the same conductor, Andy Farber, and we have a click track for the drums. We have a way that we worked it out. We’ve all played together and know the styles. We’re gonna make sure we’re on top of it.”
I brought up the question of how Marsalis thought the known facts of Armstrong’s life jibed with how it’s portrayed onscreen. “I feel like we live inside of a mythic framework,” he said. “Like, what did Doc Holliday do? We don’t know what he did. Who was John Henry? I’m sure there was a John Henry, but I don’t know what he did. Now, with Louis, we know more about his life because he wrote about it. But I think that a silent movie that has a poetic take on it that features the music of Gottschalk and Jelly Roll, and, and… all this music people don’t hear in an active context. I was happy to do it.”
As far as future film projects, Marsalis doesn’t see it happening. “That’s not really my thing, to do films. I just wanted to do it with him [Pritzker]. Sometimes when people call me about films, I say, ‘Man, call Terrance [Blanchard].’ It’s not really my skill set and I got plenty to do.”
He thinks jazz is very under-represented in film and when I ask him to tell me a film he likes, he’s hard pressed to come up with an answer. “The old ones have a romantic quality to them… A Man Called Adam was pretty good. “[Making a good film about jazz] still remains out there to be done, with people really playing. It needs a combination of intelligence and soul and the wit of jazz musicians-difficult to get it.”
Marsalis has been instrumental in trying to grow the audience for jazz and has been creative in finding new ways to accomplish that. “It’s important for our younger people to know about it. We have a lot of educating to do. And we have to educate ourselves, too.”
The live performance of the complex score to Louis will be a high-wire act. But given the quality and wide experience of the musicians involved, I’d say it will be an act worth catching.
Wynton Marsalis is a world-renowned trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and a leading advocate of American culture. He presently serves as Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Director of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, and President of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. For more information on the Daniel Pritzker film Louis, please visit wyntonmarsalis.org.
Steve Provizer is a brass player, arranger and writer. He has written about jazz for a number of print and online publications and has blogged for a number of years at: brilliantcornersabostonjazzblog.blogspot.com. He is also a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild.
