ONOFFON

[onoffon]

I've got a double to post today - one old, one new... A good friend of mine who is helping me with the documentary, jazz historian, James A. Harrod, is always keeping me informed on items that talk about my father's contributions. Mr. Harrod is a regular speaker/panelist at all the West Coast Jazz events hosted by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute and he's currently writing a history of the Pacific Jazz Record label founded by Richard Bok, that my father and drummer, Roy Harte, contributued greatly to. I last ran into James at the Getty Institute during their jazz conference last November. These are a couple of items related to my father's pioneering jazz cello sessions.The first is a magazine from Belgium, Jazz'halo, that came out about six years ago, of which I have a copy -"The magazine is "Jazz'halo", the special issue on "cello en jazz" is no. 19 (December 2001). It has two general articles by Sim Simons ("In a Cellotone") and by Chris White as well as features/interviews with Jan Kuijken, Ernst Reijseger, Didier Petit and Frances-Marie Uitti. I liked Simons' browsing through photos of bands from the 1920s to look at the instruments and finding cellos in the 1925 Erskine Tate Vendome Orchestra or in the 1931 Red Perkins and his Dixieland Ramblers. Simons remarks about Coleman Hawkins' early musical education with the cello and about Lawrence Brown's "cello-like" sound on the trombone. He cites Harry Babasin as the first to use the cello extensively in a jazz context (with Dodo Marmarosa). The features/interviews with Kuijken, Petit, Reijseger and Uitti center around some of the problems as well as the possibilities of the instrument, its position somewhere between classical and jazz...All this is in Dutch, but interesting reading for those who can read it..."The second I just received last night about a Canadian jazz journal called CODA, just released this month -"Hi Von,The Trevor Tolley article on Marmarosa singles out Harry's FIRST recording of plucked cello jazz on the Dial sessions. Would be happy to send you a copy. Let me know your current mailing address.Jim"It's amazing to have such an incredible network of individuals, both industry professionals and interested jazz lovers, out there finding pieces of my father's history and sending me their support for this project... I can't thank Jim enough for his continued support...

[onoffon]

Today, I'd like to talk specifics about the documentary project and the New York Foundation for the Arts fiscal sponsorship supporting it.The NYFA sponsorship came about because they realized that the only thing keeping me from making this film is the financial ability to produce it. I obviously have everything I need for the content of the film, aside from actually filming the interviews with musicians, historians, and disc jockeys that will help to tell the story, but the film clips, photos, recordings, articles, reviews, advertisements, endorsements - my father's life scrapbook I own and it all needs to be scanned and transferred into a digital format so I can piece it all together.Now, the real beauty of my contract with NYFA, as defined in writing, is I retain 100% of the copyright of the film and I own 100% of the distribution rights as well. Plus, they have no say in the artistic content of the film. They only serve as a non-profit conduit for the raising of the production budget. Also, there is no defined ceiling on how much funding can be raised through them, as long as it all pertains to the film and is documented in the final budget.Any and all money used in the direct production of the film is 100% recoupable expense taken out of the grants and contributions donated to the film through NYFA.So, if I had the funds to start the production, I could recoup those expenses once funding comes through. To put this in perspective, my entire budget comes in at between $400,000-500,000, but I only need approximately $100,000 to purchase the equipment I need to compile everything I have and produce a work-in-progress reel to submit with my future proposals.Now, I have found a dozen different foundations that specifically write what are known as "completion grants". Those are funds that are designated to complete the film, based on the project itself and the work-in-progress reel that accompanies it. For instance, a company called ITVS in San Francisco provides completion grants of $100,000-400,000 to projects they find compelling enough to support. And, with a team that includes an archival consultant who has worked on an Academy Award nominated jazz documentary and an advisor who has won an Emmy, a DGA, and Peabody Award for production and direction, I feel that it will garner the respect of the industry.So, I would benefit greatly from a private investment of $100,000, that could be recouped from the contributions that will be eventually raised through NYFA. Although, I can't relinquish any percentage of the copyright as per my contract, I will still have points to offer from the airing and distribution rights once the film is complete.I already have a dozen different festivals and organizations, including the Grammy Foundation, AFFMA, American Public Broadcasting and the Documentary Channel, that want to feature and/or air this film and I believe there will be international film festivals also interested. With my father's music being pressed in places like Spain, Japan, and the United States, articles written about him in Belgium, Armenia, Russia, Canada, and the United States, and airplay literally around the world, there is international interest in my father's story.While a single investor would provide the most immediate financial impact, a grassroots effort of many small investments would serve the same purpose. A thousand people donating $100 each would provide the initial investment I need to produce the film.So, if you know of someone who might be interested in helping to bring this all to fruition, please visit this page -http://www.onoffon.com/nyfa.htmlThe New York Foundation for the Arts has been in existence since 1971 and is an extremely prestigious organization. At the top of their Hall of Fame sits Spike Lee. He sought assistance from NYFA to help him produce "She's Gotta Have It" and we all know where that led. They also supported producer/director, Zana Briski, and she won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary with her film, "Born Into Brothels".Thanks for taking the time to read this. It entails my life's work. I met with Lisa Wilson from the Flintridge Foundation last Wednesday and she said, "No one can question your passion, dedication, and determination to bring this project to completion". I certainly believe that to be true of myself and I hope others can also see and understand the same...

[onoffon]

I just received my copy of the January/February, 2008, issue of CODA, a jazz journal from Canada, that has a wonderful article about the bebop pianist, Dodo Marmarosa, by Trevor Tolley. It has a nice paragraph that includes my father -"More representative [of Dodo's 'adventurous' side] were the recordings Marmarosa made for Dial on December 3rd, 1947, supervised by Eddie Laguna of Sunset Records. Marmarosa, ever the perfectionist, recorded twenty-nine takes that day. Five tunes initially came out of this session: Bopmatism, Dodo's Dance, Trade Winds, Dary Departs, and Cosmo Street. Eleven takes in all have been issued. The supporting players on this session were Jackie Mills on drums and Harry Babasin playing the plucked jazz cello for the first time in recording history, though he also plays bass on Dary Departs. Bopmatism, whose quality is characterised by its title, is perhaps the most impressive track here with its immaculate and relaxed single note passages and beautifully controlled variation in pace. The lovely Trade Winds highlights impressive interplay between piano and cello."Most importantly, here, I'd like to say that this is amazing to have this journalist point out the importance of this recording. It just shows my father's story is getting out there - piece by piece. It seems to me that someone who continues to pop up in so many important places in jazz, and so many important times in jazz, and so many important discographies throughout jazz history, maybe he deserves to finally have his story told, and help give definition to the artform he loved and helped define, west coast jazz.Of course he does....

[onoffon]

Okay... this comes from the "I swear, you just can't make this kind of stuff up" file -I called the jazz historian, Jim Harrod, on Friday to thank him for sending me the copy of CODA that had my dad's pioneer plucked jazz cello mentioned in the article by Canadian jazz journalist, Trevor Tolley, about Dodo Marmarosa. In the course of the conversation, I asked him about a group my father led, the Harry Babasin Orchestra. I have an article in an issue of the Capitol News, a publication published by Capitol Records to announce important musical happenings in the industry. This issue is the January, 1948 edition, Vol. 6, No. 1. It talks about the 'Hot' cello of Harry Babasin, leading an orchestra he put together, featuring Jimmy Giuffre, his old college pal.I asked Jim if he might be aware of any recordings of this group in existence and he said that he wasn't.On Saturday, I was surfing through eBay on my usual 'Harry Babasin' sweeps to see what's out there, and I saw an album from Italy called "Jimmy Giuffre, Rare and Unissued Recordings, 1948-61". It looks like one of those 'non-sanctioned' releases that just happen to have a montage of things Jimmy Giuffre played on. Well, believe it or not, the first three tracks are the very group I mentioned, playing a live concert in Pasadena in January, 1948, the exact month of the article. Each player is listed by name on the tracks and is verified in the caption of the picture in the story from the Capitol News. I just won the auction...Now, what are the odds that the very day after I asked Jim about this particular group, I find a recording of them? I could have asked him five years ago...That's as close to God as it gets...

[bmete]

He is definitely smiling upon you!!!Bob

[onoffon]

Well, I think I just made a breakthrough. A jazz lover who is also a producer was forwarded my story and he emailed me. Upon his request, I sent him a full proposal for the film and as a bonus, a copy of ONOFFON's latest CD. After about a week, I received this email last night -"Dear Von,I read through everything and wanted to see what's a good time on Thursday to call you.I think the project is great and my wife and I love the tunes that you sent...great stuff!Let me know"We had a great conversation today and it looks like we will be working together. He is very well connected and has both philanthropic and entrepreneurial contacts that would be very interested in helping this film get made.Nothing in writing yet but we will be hammering out the details over the weekend...He also told me he had guests over to his house this last weekend and played our CD for them. They all loved it...I also recently joined a media networking group whose founder absolutely loved the project. He wants to help in any way he can.I'm so close I can taste it...

[bmete]

Onoffon.... I'm sooooo glad for you, isn't it a fantastic feeling when you see light at the end of the tunnel and it is not an oncoming train.Best of luck.....Bob

[onoffon]

Hahaha, Bob... thanks for the well wishes...If it is a train, I could end up being another bug on the windshield... SPLAT...

[sgs4u]

Quote:Hahaha, Bob... thanks for the well wishes...If it is a train, I could end up being another bug on the windshield... SPLAT... or you could get ready to allow this huge event, to unfold, the way it's ready to.cause Von, this is so frikkin wicked, to get to witness this dream, start growing. and I still think there should be a movie made about you trying to get this done... woohoo

[ragani]

Quote:I'm so close I can taste it... Oooooo!! That's sooooo juicy!!! I love it when the universe lets loose its ties of connections and synchronistic events-- what fun it is to read about yours, Von! This is the stuff dreams are made of! Me thinks you have a solid 12-course meal of deliciousness coming your way! May you feast like a king in the heavens of life...Raags