All About Jazz 2020 Jazz on Film and TV: Up From The Streets
By KEN FRANCKLING | January 2, 2021
NEW ORLEANS: The Crescent City documentary Up From The Streets, subtitled New Orleans: The City of Music, had its virtual premiere on May 15. Viewers could buy tickets from a local cinema and watch the film at home. A portion of the proceeds from each $12 “ticket” sale was donated to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund, a statewide relief initiative supporting New Orleans and Louisiana musicians who lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Michael Murphy film explores the evolution of the city’s music, from early innovations in jazz through R&B and funk. Trumpeter-composer Terence Blanchard hosted the documentary, which weaves performances and conversations with musicians. Up From The Streets received the Documentary Feature Award of Excellence at Indie Fest Film Festival and the Juried Gold Award for Best Feature Documentary at the Houston WorldFest Film Festival.
