Imagine the Sound (1981)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Imagine the Sound (1981) – R. Mann

If you like free jazz, then this one is for you.  It isn’t your typical talking head doco but instead full of complete performances interspersed with brief Q&A sessions with the players (who offer some deep and intriguing bits of wisdom).  Of course, the quality of any investigation such as this depends on the players.  Here, director Ron Mann was able to obtain participation by pianist Cecil Taylor, saxophonist Archie Shepp, pianist Paul Bley, and trumpeter Bill Dixon (sadly they do not play together). They are no slouches for sure but of course we feel the pain of the absence of several major figures of the movement: Coltrane (dead), Ayler (dead), Dolphy (dead), Coleman (alive at the time), Don Cherry (alive at the time), Alice Coltrane (alive at the time) and Sun Ra (alive at the time). The list could go on.  The four featured players skew the film in a certain direction (more abstract and intellectual, less spiritual and emotional perhaps).  Ornette Coleman featured in his own documentary by Shirley Clarke a few years later.  In the end, Taylor offers the most intriguing performances and Shepp and Bley have the sharpest insights.