Jazz Legacy Films

Dr. Foster Goes to Washington

Fos honored at The Kennedy Center by NYMelon Bank

Friday night October 2nd Frank Foster will be honored as the BNY Mellon Jazz 2009 Living Legacy Awardee. Jazz Legacy Films has been invited to screen the trailer for "Shiny Stockings" at the event during the reception dinner. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the well-heeled Jazz enthusiasts will take a liking to the project and provide "resources" to get the film completed and distributed to as wide an audience as possible. We'd like to thank Lois Gilbert of Jazz Corner and Karen Newell of the MidAtlantic Arts Foundation. And of course we thank Frank and Cecilia Foster for making our lives so interesting!

Visit the MAAF website for complete information

The First Public Screening of Shiny Stockings

Took Place at The Multimedia Arts Cafe in Bloomfield N.J. on Wednesday July 15, 2009

With a huge amount of on-air support from WBGO the screening of "Shiny Stockings" the Frank Foster documentary was a great success. Listeners to both Gary Walker and Michael Bourne's programs were reminded of the screening thoughout the prior week. Doug Doyle even produced a short audio trailer that aired during the news hour on Wednesday Morning. Thanks Guys!

The audience reflected the diversity of both the Jazz and independent filmmaking audiences. The spectrum included a local neo-punk band and a few couples that drove from Manhattan. Producer/Director Brian Grady took questions from the audience after the screening and was struck by the audience's appreciation of the themes explored in the film. The film is a portrait of Frank Foster, composer and arranger for Count Basie and bandleader and teacher. see trailer and concert footage below. Visit the MMAC website for complete information

If you would like to sponsor the film at any level, please contact us or make a payment through AlertPay, a secure transaction service that accepts Credit Card payments...

The link below will allow a $150 donation to the cause, but you can make as many as you like, we won't stop you!

BIG NEWS!!! Shiny Stockings to be screened at

The Multimedia Arts Cafe in Bloomfield N.J.

Wednesday July 15, 2009

Mark your calendar...The first public screening of Shiny Stockings will take place on Wednesday, July 15th at the Multimedia Arts Center in Bloomfield. Visit the MMAC website for complete information
This screening is part of a Filmmakers Forum series at the MMAC that will include a Q&A with the producers and is intended to promote the film and communicate our objectives and further intentions. We will present the current, in-progress 60-minute cut as a preview to raise awareness and offer sponsorship opportunities. We will also be joined by some of the stars of the film, so please don't miss it. We need your support! Speaking of which, if you would like to sponsor the film at any level, please contact us or make a payment through AlertPay, a secure transaction service that accepts Credit Card payments...

The link below will allow a $150 donation to the cause, but you can make as many as you like, we won't stop you!

Despite economic environment "Shiny Stockings" is on a Roll

Update June 1, 2009
We have pushed ahead in spite of funding difficulties. Citing the economic crisis, potential sponsors have been unwilling to step up and provide funding resources for the film. Jazz Legacy Films has continued to record interviews, pursue research and devote hundreds of hours of post production time to the project. In May we shot a concert of the Loud Minority Big Band at The Manhattan Center with Frank stepping out of retirement for the evening and taking the helm of the band for several tunes. (See video below) In the months prior to that we caught up with Stanley Clarke while he was in NY to capture his recollections of working with Frank on the Loud Minority album, which was a precursor to the naming of the band. This landmark album also featured a soon-to-be All-Star line up that included Dee Dee Bridgewater, Cecil Bridgewater, Elvin Jones, Jan Hammer and Mr. Clarke, to name only a few. We've completed a 55 minute version of the film and expect the final to run approximately 70 minutes.

Frank Foster Tribute Project in Full Swing

Update December 1, 2008
Since our last update we have completed a 15 minute sample of the film and a threatrical trailer. We have produced a DVD with both versions, and an introduction to Jazz Legacy Films with other samples. The DVD will be used as a fundraising tool for the completion of the project. We expect to have an on-line version available shortly.
The Film has been titled "Shiny Stockings" as it uses the theme as an entry point into the career of Dr. Foster. Fundraising efforts are underway now.

Update September 1, 2008
This film pays tribute to one of America’s greatest musical masterminds by highlighting his illustrious career while gauging the long term effect he’s had on the music and the musician’s that follow the swing tradition.
A visit to Virginia with the Fosters has yielded a treasure trove of photographs and hours of video taped interview footage. Frank sat down and told stories about his career and his personal life. Cecilia told the story from her perspective and both were incredibly open, funny and deeply moving. To hear their reminiscences about their meeting, their beautiful relationship and Frank’s career is a slice of American history. The photos provided by Cecilia Foster’s personal archive are priceless. We do however seek further photographs and any archival/historical video or film footage of Frank’s career. Please contact the producers if you know of anything available.
Several interviews with Frank’s musical contemporaries and former students have been captured thus far and the process continues. A day of shooting was devoted to an interview with Bill Saxton at his Harlem night spot “Bill’s Place” just before a rendezvous with Benny Powell and TK Blue at a Jazz Mobile performance in Harlem. Bill told of the early days in The Loud Minority and it’s comng to be out of regular appearances of Frank’s Big Band at Rashid Ali’s “Ali’s Alley”. Jazz mobile veteran TK Blue shared his love and respect for Fos as one of his early mentors as did long time friend Johnny Gary in their respective interviews.
Cecil Bridgewater relates the experience of watching Frank work as a bandleader and arranger and how it effected his own career. Later this week we hope to shoot Benny Powell and Frank Wess.
We will screen a preview version of the film at a tribute to Frank sponsored by Jazzmobile which will take place in New York on September 20th. (Frank’s 80th Birthday is September 23rd)
Jazz Legacy Films is an independent production company. We seek to promote, preserve and perpetuate the legacy of the greatest music known to man…Jazz! All inquiries can be sent to: briangrady@jazzlegacyfilms.com
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Jazz Legacy Productions
(845) 588-2038
briangrady@jazzlegacyfilms.com