Ron Mann & Bill Smith’s Imagine The Sound
Imagine the Sound (1981) was Ron Mann's directorial debut and remains the definitive cinematic portrait of early experimental jazz. Shot in Toronto, it features some of creative music's greatest protagonists Paul Bley, Bill Dixon, Archie Shepp, and Cecil Taylor. The film lovingly reveals each player's particular playing approach and philosophy through rousing and vividly captured performances as well as cogent and candid interviews. Since this film Mann has delivered now-classic documentaries such as Grass and Comicbook Confidential, yet Imagine the Sound maintains its iconic status through raw yet beautiful photography, and insightful questions posed by Coda Magazine/ Sackville Records head honcho Bill Smith, the film's co-producer. Mann will be on hand to present and discuss the film in a Q&A session following the screening.