[Dixielandjazz] Whiplash

[Patrick Ladd]

Certainly not OKOM but musical films are few and far between so I thought this might be worth some discussion before the purists start complaining.

This film has just been released here, and may be old hat in the USA but for what they are worth here are my thoughts.

interesting film and worth seeing. Basic premise is that a music teacher, like that of the filmic  American drill sergeant  will make life hell for his pupils/recruits. He will grind them into dust to eventually make them produce perfection. Much is made of  the story that Jo Jones once threw a cymbal at Charlie Parker and hounded him off stage. This made Parker practice for a couple of years and turned him into a the Charlie Parker we all know and love (or not) Tripe of course. Any drill sergeant that had tried that in my time in the army would have had an accident and any music teacher in the States who operated like that would find himself sacked and sued. Indeed that happens in the film. The teacher loses his position after a students suicide. In revenge he entices the drummer hero/lead student (who gave evidence against him) onto the stage for a prestigious concert, announces a tune and gives the hero the wrong music and he messes up.
However he storms back onto the stage, starts a solo. Says`”Cherokee” through clenched teeth to the bass player who picks it up as does the rest of the band. Climactic drum solo and all ends in a blaze of glory.
The drum solo`s are technically brilliant and are all of the speed drumming `hit everything within reach very hard and very quickly `school. They didn`t `speak` to me and neither did the music which is very modern. All brilliantly performed with hours of rehearsal behind them. Just not my cup of tea. My hopes leapt when `Cherokee` was mentioned but unfortunately it was unrecognisable, at least as far as I was concerned.
My tastes are more for Big Band Swing and this highly drilled up tempo performances left me cold. Impressed but unmoved.

Any one else have any thoughts ?

`Birdman` is the next `music` film due for release here soon

Pat