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Uncle Joe Shannon- Jazz film I never heard of...


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I stumbled on to this 1978 flick that starred and was written by Burt Young:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.jots.200020248/default.html

It starts off with BY doing a recording session for a film, screeching like Maynard, for no discernable reason.

He hangs with his beautiful wife and son, and then hurries off to a concert with a symphony orchestra (whose members are all dressed in white robes) where he's the soloist in some kind of Baroque/Jazz Concerto for Trumpet that features him screeching again like Maynard, for no discernable reason.

When he comes home after the concert, his wife and kid have been turned into unrecognizable toast by a fire in their house.

Next thing you know, he's a homeless, alcoholic bum, carrying around his trumpet without a case throughout the entire movie.

I thought that maybe the avocados I've been having with my salad caused some type of cinematic hallucination, but I checked the IMDB, and sure enough, this movie was released, and then went to the Meeker cited above, and found out whowas associated with it.

No musicians on the gig tonight ever heard of this flick. Please tell me that someone has seen this weirdness... :blink:

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I stumbled on to this 1978 flick that starred and was written by Burt Young:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.jots.200020248/default.html

It starts off with BY doing a recording session for a film, screeching like Maynard, for no discernable reason.

He hangs with his beautiful wife and son, and then hurries off to a concert with a symphony orchestra (whose members are all dressed in white robes) where he's the soloist in some kind of Baroque/Jazz Concerto for Trumpet that features him screeching again like Maynard, for no discernable reason.

When he comes home after the concert, his wife and kid have been turned into unrecognizable toast by a fire in their house.

Next thing you know, he's a homeless, alcoholic bum, carrying around his trumpet without a case throughout the entire movie.

I thought that maybe the avocados I've been having with my salad caused some type of cinematic hallucination, but I checked the IMDB, and sure enough, this movie was released, and then went to the Meeker cited above, and found out whowas associated with it.

No musicians on the gig tonight ever heard of this flick. Please tell me that someone has seen this weirdness... :blink:

I saw part of this film once on TV. I don't remember wich channel. Netherlands, Belgium or BBC. Didn't wach it till the end. IIRC I remember him walking through the snow with his trumpet.

This is on youtube:

Amazon.com has it on DVD and the Lord on line disco lists a soundtrack LP

Edited by Stompy Jones
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Sometimes, on a little-known film like this, you get some interesting behind-the-scenes stories from people who were involved with the film, posted on the IMDB:

"My father, who passed away in 2002, was a well-known jazz trumpeter who played with the Maynard Ferguson, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman bands among many others. He was the Technical Adviser on "Uncle Joe Shannon," meaning he taught Burt Young to appear as though he could play the instrument.

He thoroughly enjoyed this gig because Burt is a genuinely nice individual. I remember spending time in Burt's trailer a number of times and appearing as an extra in the orphanage dormitory scene.

The producers offered dad the opportunity to perform the trumpet solos on the soundtrack but my father felt that Maynard's style (the legendary high notes and amazing technical prowess,) would be more appropriate and dramatic for the film and the character of Joe Shannon. My dad's trumpet playing style was more subtle, muted, and lyrical. Additionally, Maynard had a hit with the "Rocky" theme at the time. Chartoff-Winkler produced both the "Rocky" films and "U.J.S." Maynard said his work on this film was the best-paying job he'd ever had, (considering the short amount time he spent in the recording studio.)

"Uncle Joe Shannon" is obviously no "Citizen Kane," but the acting is good, a lot of the first-time crew members got their union cards, and ultimately I doubt the producers lost any significant money. I have fond memories of this period, and of this film".

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I ain't sayin', but check this stuff he wrote about Q:

"credited as the composer.

My late father was a jazz musician who worked with Quincy Jones a number of times over a number of years, particularly on film and television production. (My family still receives small royalty checks from various films that Jones is credited with scoring, INCLUDING "The Pawnbroker.") Quincy Jones has utilized the talents of many, many jazz musicians over the years, so many of our close family friends have also worked with him on various recordings, as well as in live concert settings.

The thing to remember about Mr. Jones is that HE DOES NOT ACTUALLY WRITE MOST OF THE MUSIC WITH WHICH HE IS CREDITED. It is called "ghost writing" in the business. Everyone I've ever known in the professional music world agrees that his great talent is that of a PRODUCER of music projects...but he is NOT A MUSICIAN. He does not sit at a keyboard with score paper and scribble notes as do most composers/songwriters of his generation. Even when he played trumpet (very briefly) on Lionel Hampton's band, long before he became well-known, his musical skills were decidedly sub-par by all accounts (including HIS OWN, if you ever catch the documentary "Listen Up: The Lives Of Quincy Jones").

He hires superior musicians, who have no interest in "the spotlight," to do the actual writing/scoring of his various projects, pays them handsomely, uses them time and again, and lists himself as the composer (or co-composer), and often copyrights the work under one of his own publiching entities.

Jones is a MASTERFUL and insightful producer, an outstanding "politician" in entertainment circles, who came about at the right time in history, met all the right people, and negotiated the ever-changing world of comercial music with skill and savvy, while maintaining an unmistakable aura charisma and charm...but any critique of "his" musical compositions is purely academic, and therefore meaningless.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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