The Mule Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Review from Daily Variety: Posted: Tue., Jan. 6, 2004, 6:06pm PT Keeping Time: The Life, Music & Photographs of Milt Hinton (Docu) A Slap Bass production. Produced by David G. Berger,Holly Maxson. Directed, written by David G. Berger, Holly Maxson, Kate Hirson. With: Milt Hinton, Branford Marsalis, Gregory Hines, Richard Davis, Nat Hentoff, Joe Williams, Jeffrey Wright (narrator). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By RONNIE SCHEIB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legendary jazz bassist Milt Hinton furnishes both sound and image for this joyous journeyman docu. A talented amateur photographer, Hinton chronicled 65 years of jazz greats as, at one time or another, he played with them all. Trio of filmmakers interweaves rich black-and-white archival performance footage, Hinton's own evocative photographs, and short interview snippets with numerous jazz writers and artists including the genial Hinton himself, who died in 2000 at the age of 90 just before the film wrapped. Docu should play sweet on public or music-related TV and in ancillary music markets. Hinton started in Chicago as a violinist with silent movie orchestras, moving to the bass after the advent of talkies. Hinton, who developed a distinctive slapping string style on bass, soon joined Cab Calloway's band traveling countrywide with the flamboyant bandleader and snapping thousands of pictures. Some photos record the world-renowned band's encounters with Southern hospitality, as the group is seen mockingly posing by "colored" drinking fountains or in front of segregated motels. After the disbanding of the big bands, Hinton became one of the very few black musicians to break the color barrier and secure a job as a studio musician, thanks to a chance meeting with longtime friend Jackie Gleason who insisted Hinton join his TV orchestra. (One of the reasons there were so few black studio musicians was the racist belief that blacks could not read music.) Arguably, pic's most fascinating section concerns the craft of the studio musician, as expounded on by Quincy Jones, among others. The studio musician was required to come in cold and play any kind of gig, from a three-bar commercial jingle to a lush film score to a bluesy Gerry Mulligan arrangement. As it happens, Hinton was already famous in jazz circles for his variegated repertoire and ability to play in astonishingly diverse styles. Images from Hinton's archive testify to the vast range of performers with whom he played: candids of Harry Belafonte with his baby daughter, snapshots of a young, anxious Barbra Streisand, and contact sheets full of a broody Billie Holiday, whose final failed recording session Hinton recalls in detail, while on the soundtrack Holiday's quavering voice cracks and skids. A seemingly endless montage of album covers further attests to the fact that Hinton became one of the most recorded bassists of all time, while clips show him playing club dates after hours, jamming with the likes of Coleman Hawkins or Dizzy Gillespie (with whom he enjoyed a particular affinity). Tech credits are fine and selection and editing of archival material are first-rate. Camera (color/B&W, DV), Vic Losick, Greg Barna; editor, Hirson. Reviewed on videocassette at African Diaspora Film Festival, New York, Dec. 12, 2003. Running time: 60 MIN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I've seen a lot of Milt's photography, very cool. I can't wait to see this film !!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I saw this documentary a couple months ago, at a special screening here in Kansas City (as part of a local film festival). It was fantastic!!!!!!!! I'll try to describe it some more when I get a minute. I may have some promotional info about it lying around too. If you ever get the chance to see this one - DON'T MISS OUT!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Thanks for the information and the details. This really should be good. David Berger did a very class job on the two books of Milt Hinton photos he published 'Bass Lines' and 'Overtime'. Two essential jazz photos books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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