WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies team are pleased to present our first film of the 2026 season, the documentary “Music Pictures: New Orleans”.
Beautifully shot and recorded, the film is a loving portrait of four Crescent City jazz, soul, and blues legends, and a celebration of 100 years of New Orleans musical history.
Directed by New Orleans native filmmaker Ben Chace, “Music Pictures: New Orleans” is a vibrant documentary exploring the rich musical heritage of New Orleans. It showcases the city’s diverse musical landscape, from legendary jazz clubs to lively street performances, highlighting the influences of Creole, African American, and French cultures, and how historical events, like Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina, have shaped the city’s music scene. Through interviews with local musicians and historians, Music Pictures: New Orleans reveals music’s central role in the city’s cultural and social fabric.
The film showcases four New Orleans music legends: Grammy-winning Irma Thomas “The Soul Queen of New Orleans” ; Benny Jones Sr., the leader and drummer of the world renowned Treme’ Brass Band; guitarist Little Freddie King, the “Last King of the Blues”; and the pianist and educator, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., patriarch of the famed jazz family, in what would be his last concert before his death. Music Pictures: New Orleans follows each of the four artists, one by one, as they talk about their lives, rehearse, and record a new album in the studio in early 2020s. By combining vintage footage with live interviews and rare backstage access, this film provides a wonderful snapshot of New Orleans as the home for so much great American music, from soul to brass band to jazz and the blues. What better way to get ready for the Mardi Gras season!
- Saturday, January 31st,
- 7PM
- Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Portland
- Admission is FREE
COMING UP NEXT:
Feb 21st – Summer of Soul ( it took 50 years for this outstanding movie to be released)March 21st – Low Down ( Joe Albany – Jazz Pianist story – but not a documentary)April 18th – Sonny Rollins – Beyond the Notes ( inspiring us to celebrate International Jazz Day on April 30th)