Event blends jazz, movie

Kwadjo (from left) and Ayoka Boatey along with Karana Neal came to Pine Bluff from Little Rock to enjoy music and a movie during Friday’s “Live @ Five.” 
(Special to The Commercial/Richard Ledbetter)
Kwadjo (from left) and Ayoka Boatey along with Karana Neal came to Pine Bluff from Little Rock to enjoy music and a movie during Friday’s “Live @ Five.” (Special to The Commercial/Richard Ledbetter)

Friday was once again the first one of the month, which meant it was time for Live @ Five on the patio in rear of the ARTSpace on Main at 623 South Main St. As if special ordered for the occasion, the light overcast and stirring breeze made for an enjoyable outdoor evening. Jazz music and a special screening of the animated Pixar feature film, Soul completed the pleasant scene.

With an opening flourish on the saxophone, jazz musician and UAPB instructor Damen Tolbert strung together a series of original melodies that made an obvious impact on listeners. During a brief interval between tunes, Tolbert said "Music is a language all its own. With just a 12-note scale, we can be lifted to heights of emotion not otherwise so readily obtained."

ASC Executive Director Rachael Miller said she was pleased with the way the evening turned out.

"We have a past history of showing films, but this is our first combined event of both music and film on the same evening," she said. "We hope to do more of this type thing with the coming of fall. This is just one more way of presenting the 'Space' to our community. We are so excited about the turn-out tonight and hopefully it will grow as more people discover just what we have to offer."

A special guest of Live @ Five was Kody Ford, founder and publisher of The Idle Class magazine and current director of outreach and education for the Arkansas Cinema Society. Referencing the movie he brought for the showing, Ford said in a brief interview that "Soul is a really great family film about the love of music. It did very well for Pixar and won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score by Jon Batiste. Pairing it with Live @ Five is a perfect way to kick-off the Summer season. The Arkansas Cinema Society is grateful to ASC for allowing us to be part of this event tonight. We hope to do more Pine Bluff showings in the future."

Following a two-hour solo performance, Tolbert parked his saxophone and picked up a microphone for a half-hour of questions and answers. He was joined up front by Ford and Jimmy "Catfish" Cunningham. Cunningham is the Delta Rhythm and Bayous Alliance founder and currently serves as Interpretive Coordinator for Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission. The trio conducted an informative talk about jazz music and some of its intimate relationship with the city of Pine Bluff. The discussion ranged from jazz history and artists to how each of the three speakers personally came to know the genre from an early age.

"One fact you can never dismiss about Pine Bluff is that it was a railroad town," Cunningham said. "Trains didn't just pass through here, but were built here. Particularly in the early 1900's, that brought entertainers coming through with all types of music. The Hotel Pines and Masonic Temple hosted oodles of impresarios. Iconic jazz names like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie 'Bird' Parker and Count Basie played for the folks in Pine Bluff and made an indelible impression on this town. A lot of cities built reputations for being places to play but Pine Bluff in particular developed into a major entertainment hub."

Cunningham added, "Jazz speaks to me like a vast painting of the infinite universe. There's a certain amount of limitless expectation with jazz that speaks to all of those who are looking to go in new directions."

While the sun set in a blaze of bright orange and subtle blue and yellow hues, the crowd's composition began to change. With the child appeal of an animated movie, more families began filing in with youngsters in tow.

Drew Atkinson and his wife Catherine were among the couples in attendance. Atkinson said, "I can't remember the last time I saw an outdoor movie. One gentleman at that table over there is visiting from Mobile. He was looking for something to do this evening while his wife was tending to business. He heard about Live @ Five and told me he couldn't be more delighted at what he found."

Kody Ford (from left), Jimmy “Catfish” Cunningham and Damon Tolbert
lead a lively discussion of jazz music and its rich history in Pine Bluff on Friday evening. 
(Special to The Commercial/Richard Ledbetter)
Kody Ford (from left), Jimmy “Catfish” Cunningham and Damon Tolbert lead a lively discussion of jazz music and its rich history in Pine Bluff on Friday evening. (Special to The Commercial/Richard Ledbetter)
The Kline family (from left) Alex, Kris, Rosalie, Walker and Jennifer, were excited to watch the Academy Award-winning animated feature film “Soul” as it was hosted by Pine Bluff’s Art Space on Main. 
(Special to The Commercial/Richard Ledbetter)
The Kline family (from left) Alex, Kris, Rosalie, Walker and Jennifer, were excited to watch the Academy Award-winning animated feature film “Soul” as it was hosted by Pine Bluff’s Art Space on Main. (Special to The Commercial/Richard Ledbetter)

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