Jazz International

Excerpts from Dr. Eugene Marlow’s feature-length documentary are shown on his Vimeo account coincident with UNESCO’s International Jazz Day. It is a happy coincidence that Abu Dhabi in the United Arabi Emirates is this year’s host city for International Jazz Day. The excerpts are available for the 24 hours of International Jazz Day

Producer/Director/Writer/Editor Eugene Marlow focuses on editing the feature-length “Jazz in Arabic Culture” documentary which has evolved into nine sections: ranging from a description of maqam, the Arabic music tradition, to a survey of the 12 jazz festivals in the Arabic region.

Video editor Zena Sfeir translates and adds English subtitles to the jazz patron interviews produced by Antoine Abou-Samra in Beirut, Lebanon in 2023.

Raymond Fernandez and Sally Min join the production team as research associates. They will work on garnering B-roll graphics and footage for the 31 interviews completed for the “Jazz in Arabic Culture” documentary.

Interview with multi-instrumentalist TK Blue, associate of pianist Randy Weston. Weston spent six years in Tangiers, Morocco, resulting in the formation of his African Rhythms.

Interview with Moroccan musician Majid Bekkas, Artistic Director of the Chellah Jazz Festival, Rabat, Morocco (inaugurated in 1996).

Producer Eugene Marlow interviews Lama Hazboun, Founder and Managing Director of the Amman (Jordan) Jazz Festival.

Jan Sileo, Graphics Designer, continues working with Producer/Director Eugene Marlow on some of the graphic elements of the nascent “Jazz in Arabic Culture” documentary project, such as lower thirds' interviewee titles and billboard designs. Ms. Sileo was the Graphics Designer on the 2022 award-winning, feature-length documentary “Jazz in China.”

Ella Caterini joins the “Jazz in Arabic Culture” feature-length documentary project as an Assistant to the Producer.

Work begins on reviewing the approximately 27 interviews conducted for the “Jazz in Arabic Culture” documentary. Completion of a fine-cut is targeted for the month of April 2025, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) with a possible “premiere” showing on April 30, 2025, International Jazz Day.

Leading Iranian (Tehran-located) multi-instrumentalist and composer, Hazmeh Yeganeh, describes his musical background and approach to composing. The interview was conducted in Farsi (Persian) and translated into English by Cameron Niakan.

American ex-pat jazz musician Thomas Hornig talks about living and performing in Lebanon.

Bassist and vocalist Donna Khalife, in Beirut, Lebanon, talks about her introduction to jazz, how she gravitated to the double bass as her jazz instrument, and her unique standing as a female jazz instrumentalist in a world where women are usually the vocalists.

Lebanese saxophonist Nidal Abou Samra (Beirut) describes the evolution of jazz in Lebanon and some of his influences, including Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Gill Evans.

Cindy Belaj joins the production team as a research associate.

Yara Lapidus, Lebanese-born pop singer, currently living in Paris (France), talks about her eclectic approach to music and her most recent cover release–an Arabic version of David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World.”

Layale Chaker, composer and violinist, raised in Lebanon, describes her evolution from classical music to jazz and the ethics of jazz.

Dr. Marlow interviews Joe Aouad, a Beirut, Lebanon located jazz guitarist. Aouad talked about “jazz” as process.

University of Florida Professor Mark Lomanno, researcher of jazz in the Middle East, provides an overview of the evolution of jazz in the region.

Marlow interviews Egyptian jazz pianist Rami Attallah (Cairo).

Iranian-born percussionist Ali Nourbakhsh (interviewed in London, England) describes his introduction to jazz and his inspirations and why jazz speaks to his musical sensibilities.

Dr. Marlow interviews Sami Abu Shumays, co–author of Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019). Shumays provides a detailed overview of the practice and performance of Arabic music. Shumays is the co-founder of Brooklyn maqam.

Producer/Director Eugene Marlow interviews Egyptian-born singer Ahmed Harfoush. Harfoush, who now resides in London, England, provided many details on the presence of jazz in Egypt in the 1950s-1960s. He also described his early interest in jazz, referring to such luminaries as Nat King Cole and Mel Torme as major influences. Harfoush was a goldmine of information on jazz, not only in Egypt, but also other parts of the Middle East.

Beirut-based documentarian Antoine Abou Samra provides insights into the jazz scene primarily in Lebanon, but also in other part of the Middle East.

Dr. Eugene Marlow has an outstanding interview with Dr. Raphael Cormack, author of a book on Cairo in the 1920s and an expert on culture in Egypt. Dr. Cormack provided a litany of contextual insights into the political, religious, economic, and social milieu of this time period.

Producer-Director Eugene Marlow interviews Moroccan-born eclectic singer and composer Malika Zarra in her home just outside Paris, France.

Producer/director Eugene Marlow interviews veteran electric bass player Samer George from Cairo, Egypt. George talked about his early influences and how jazz improvisation is like poetry made up “on the spot.”

Amro Salah, progenitor of the Cairo Jazz Festival, is interviewed for his broad knowledge of the jazz scene in Egypt. He provides many names of early influences, many of which are African American, as well as the names of female jazz performers in Egypt. The Cairo Jazz Festival takes place October 26-November 3, 2023.

Eugene Marlow interviews Prof. Carole Woodall of the University of Denver on Zoom. Dr. Woodall is an expert (and is currently writing a book) on the early years of jazz in Turkey. She suggests we talk with Francesco Martinelli, an Italian jazz journalist who is an expert on the contemporary jazz scene in Turkey.

Mo Qian, who designed the animated logo for Dr. Marlow’s “Jazz in China” documentary, submits comps for a “Jazz in the Middle East” logo.

Veteran Egyptian jazz pianist Fathy Salama describes his musical background and the jazz scene in Egypt.

Dr. Marlow (producer/director) interviewed Russian jazz journalist Cyril Moshkow located in Moscow about his documentary dealing with the 100-year history of jazz in Russia. The interview will be used at a later time. Later that day Dr. Marlow interviewed Howard Lawes just outside London about his article “Jazz in Arabic Culture.” Lawes provided some links to relevant performances in and around the Middle East.

It was discovered that a documentary on the 100-year history of jazz in Russia has been produced and is in the process of morphing into a series. Russia, therefore, has been taken off the list. It has also been decided to focus on the Middle East as the center of the documentary. The countries Turkey and Vietnam deserve their own documentary each.

Producer/Director/Writer Dr. Marlow conducted pre-production research in spring 2023 in anticipation of production (Fall 2023) and post-production (Spring 2024) for the documentary. During spring 2023 two research assistants worked with Dr. Marlow to identify potential interviewees. One research assistant identified extant books, articles, and mentions dealing with jazz activities in the abovementioned countries. Jazz activities include jazz clubs, jazz festivals, jazz education, and jazz programming on radio and television. A second assistant researched extant archival video and graphic materials found online. The results of these two research activities will be cross-referenced in June-July 2023 to develop an initial interviewee contact list. During late summer 2023 potential interviewees will be contacted and scheduled for interviews in early fall 2023 via Zoom. Zoom was the technology used by Dr. Marlow to conduct interviews for his award-winning, feature-length documentary “Jazz in China.” Interviewee transcriptions will be accomplished as interviews are completed. During winter 2023-2024, the transcriptions will be used to formulate a rough-cut script and video edit. A rough cut will be completed in Spring 2024 which will be shown to private audiences for feedback to be followed by completion of a fine cut. Other 2024 activities include additional graphics research, color correction, audio mixing and mastering, presentation of portions of the documentary on April 30, 2024, International Jazz Day via UNESCO’s website, entry of the completed documentary into film festivals, showings in various classes at Baruch College (where Dr. Marlow is a full-time professor), and promotion of the project in domestic and international publications (print and online).