JAM presents the film”Music Pictures: New Orleans”, Sat., January 31st.
WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies and the Portland Conservatory of Music 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!
WMPG’s Jazz At The Movies invites you to come join us on Saturday, January 31st, 7PM, at Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Portland, for “ Music Pictures: New Orleans”. Admission is FREE, and donations are gladly accepted. Let the good times roll!