[Dixielandjazz] Forest Whitaker to direct and star in Satchmo biopic

[JBruno868 at aol.com]

Larry Wright sent this response to Jon Erik Kellso,  sent it to me and I 
thought it was all funny and interesting enough to share. I  have the OK to do so.
 
Jazz Hugs
 
Judie
 
 
  
____________________________________
 From: ocarina-man at juno.com
To: JBruno868 at aol.com
Sent: 11/13/2008  2:16:51 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: Fw: Re: Forest Whitaker to direct  and star in Satchmo biopic


Jon Erik Kellso sent me the following article.  Below it is my  response. -L
 
 
 
 

check it out--hope they do a good job of it!:

_http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/oct/08/forestwhitakerlouisarmstrong_ 
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/oct/08/forestwhitakerlouisarmstrong) 


Forest Whitaker to direct and star in Satchmo  biopic


The Oscar-winning actor is to essay his second jazz  great, Louis Armstrong, 
having previously played Charlie Parker for Clint  Eastwood



Blowing his own trumpet ... Forest Whitaker.  Photograph: Matt Sayles/AP
 
Forest Whitaker is to play Louis Armstrong in an officially sanctioned  
biopic of the great jazz singer and trumpet player which the Oscar-winning  actor 
will also direct. 
Named after Armstrong's best known song, What a Wonderful World will  
chronicle the musician's life from his impoverished early days in New  Orleans to his 
death in 1971 following a long career over which he  transformed jazz and 
popular music as a whole. 
Whitaker, who also played the jazz great Charlie Parker in 1988's Bird,  will 
work with Oscar Cohen, executive of the Armstrong estate and the Louis  
Armstrong Educational Foundation, on the project, the latter taking on an  
executive producer's role. The film is being made by France's Legende, the  company 
behind last year's Oscar-winning Edith Piaf biopic, _La Vie en  Rose_ 
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/movie/117957/la.vie.en.rose) . 
"Armstrong left a monumental mark on our lives and our culture," said  
Whitaker. "He lived an amazing life and, through his art, shifted the way  music was 
played and would be heard after him, not just here in the US but  all over 
the world." 
What a Wonderful World will mark the first time the Armstrong estate has  
given its blessing to a film about the musician, nicknamed Satchmo. Cohen,  who 
started work with Armstrong as his road manager in the late 40s, is  granting 
the film-makers exclusive access to letters and other material from  the 
estate's archives, as well as his own memories. 
Whitaker is an eye-catching choice to play Armstrong, but his decision to  
direct is more surprising. Whilst hugely successful as an actor, the star of  
The Last King of Scotland has made just three big screen outings behind the  
cameras, none of which made much of an impression on critics. His most  recent 
film was 2004's First Daughter, starring Katie Holmes, while he was  also 
responsible for 1995's melodrama Waiting To Exhale.

--  


ocarina-man at juno.com
> 
 (mailto:jonnygig at gmail.com) 
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:12:39 -0500
Subject: Re: Forest Whitaker to direct and star in Satchmo  biopic
 
Mr. J-E --
After nearly plotzing myself reading about these plans, I composed a  letter 
that I sent off to Forest Whitaker.  I enclose a copy to  you.
 
Dear Mr. Whitaker -
I am thrilled that Louis Armstrong will be given his cinematic due by  you.  
I would like to offer a suggestion if I may.  You will need a  trumpeter to 
play Armstrong's parts to be lip synched for the picture.  I  nominate a man 
whose lip has seen more than its share of syncs, Mr. Jon Erik  Kellso.  Mr. So 
has played the trumpet for longer than any of us care to  remember and he does 
it with aplomb, usually sticking in the bell.  He  has distinguished himself, 
usually in public, by his knowledge of map reading,  calisthenics while 
playing, and giving freely of his time, talent, and three  day old hard candies which 
he carries in his coat pocket.  He has studied  the stylings of the 
aformentioned Louis and suffice it to say, no one can play  as many of those notes as 
can he.  At the same time.  
 
In case you are concerned, Mr. So is a consummate professional, not at  all 
like the amateur consummates that I'm sure you run into out on Hollywood  
Boulevard.  He shows up on time most of the time, dresses nattily  (although those 
dresses don't look near as good on Nattily), and is  entirely open to eating 
on the gig if you want.  He inspires other  musicians, mostly by comparison.  
His range is legendary -- he can hit a  Hi C simply by walking down the fruit 
juice aisle in the supermarket.   And he is entirely egoless.  Sometimes he 
won't even answer to his own  name, that's how humble he is. Mr. Forest, this 
fellow is the logical  choice to be heard and not seen.  Should you wish to hear 
samples of his  work I refer you to his My Space page which has a clip of him 
playing  Armstrong's West End Blues.  Unlike so many poor imitators, Mr. So  
actually does it the same as the famous trumpeter, by traveling to the South  
Side from the North and sticking his West End out the car window.   Naturally, 
it's best to hear the solo from the east side of the car.  Oh,  and one other 
thing -- Mr. So is not above toadying, so be assured, you'll  always have a 
fresh cup of latte on the set.
 
Here's hoping you'll consider this guy.  I know I have.
Sincerely,
Larry Wright
 
 





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