October 15, 2002
Contact: George Yatchisin
(805) 893-3494
e-mail: yatchisin-g@ sa.ucsb.edu
Noted jazz film historian and archivist Mark Cantor presents an evening of rare and swinging jazz films at UCSB Campbell Hall
Summary Facts:
- An Evening of Jazz Films with Mark Cantor
- A two-hour program of rarely viewed jazz clips
- Films will feature artists like Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and others
- Cantor is acclaimed for his annual programs at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles
- Sunday, November 24
- 7:30 pm / UCSB Campbell Hall
- General public: $10, UCSB students: $8
- Tickets/Information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at 893-3535
Film archivist and historian Mark Cantor will present an evening of jazz on film featuring some of the greatest names in jazz in rarely seen footage on Sunday, November 24 at 7:30 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall. Perhaps best known for his crowd-pelasing annual programs at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, Cantor has worked as a preservationist and researcher for 30 years, and has assembled one of the most comprehensive collections of popular music on film in the United States, with over 4,000 titles. For the evening at UCSB, Cantor will screen footage featuring a wide variety of styles, from Swing to post-modern, spotlighting such stars as Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and others. “Cantor’s collection is an extraordinary treasure trove,” enthuses the Los Angeles Times. “In a just world, it would be available to jazz fans on a frequent and regular basis...A dedicated archivist, he is also an entertaining host, providing detailed information as well as insightful, often humorous anecdotes about the many clips he presents.”
In addition to presenting public exhibitions of jazz films, Cantor has served as a consultant on the production of a large number of films and books related to music on film. Footage from his collection has been widely sought after by documentary producers, and has been used in such presentations as Motown Returns to the Apollo, the Academy Award-nominated A Great Day in Harlem and Ken Burns’ Jazz. Burns has said, “Mark Cantor has one of the very best collections of jazz films in the world. He was an invaluable asset to our Jazz series whose generous advice helped us unearth some extraordinary footage.”
A professional educator who has taught all levels of school, Cantor currently works as a kindergarten instructor. He has written album notes for jazz recordings and has assisted in their production. He is currently writing a book on Panoram soundies, three-minute black and white films with an optical soundtrack designed to be shown on video juke box machines situated in bars, diners and nightclubs in the 1940s. Cantor is a graduate from UCSB.
A long-time record collector and jazz aficionado, Cantor got into film archiving by accident. In an interview he recalled, “About 30 years ago, I was in a junk shop on Western Avenue and found something labeled ‘jazz film.’ I took it home and it sat on the shelf for two years. I finally saw it and it was a film with [sax great] Lester Young and that whetted my appetite.” In a different interview he said the following about his films: “Each clip has its own feel. Passionate and exciting are certainly [a good way to describe them]. Also fascinating, swinging, inventive, instructive, sometimes even funny. And almost always compelling. Remember we’re talking about jazz and blues, which is a music of spontaneous creation.”
Read more about Mark Cantor on his website Celluloid Improvisations at www.jazz-on-film.com.
Tickets are available now and may be purchased in person or charged by phone. Tickets can also be bought at the door, if available, starting at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for UCSB students.
For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.
Editor: For photos, please call
George Yatchisin at (805) 893-3494.