Filmmaker Hal Masonberg will present his documentary Jazz Nights: A Confidential Journey, followed by a screening of the film (104 minutes) and a question-and-answer session.
Jazz Nights: A Confidential Journey, winner of the Audience Award at the Copenhagen Jazz Film Festival, chronicles a group of Los Angeles’ top jazz musicians who gathered every Sunday night in various configurations at a hidden back-room hash bar in the heart of Hollywood, forming a circle of non-verbal, intuitive communication with no pre-determined set lists or rehearsals, exploring both personal and communal aspects of what it means to be an artist, take risks, embrace change, and follow one’s heart passionately.
Jazz Nights is for anyone who loves jazz or wants to know more about it. It is also for artists of all kinds, as the film explores innovative exploration, expression, risk and community. It serves as an intimate microcosm of the creative journey for artists everywhere.
Language
Talk: English
Film: English with Catalan subtitles.
TAILER 1 / TRAILER 2
Quotes about the film
«Jazz Nights is not only an incredibly interesting documentary, it goes beyond that. It is pure essence, humanity, and the magic of jazz, and the deepest soul of the musicians who make it possible. I was profoundly impacted. Thank you Hal Masonberg for this sensory gift.»
— Marta Carrasco, performance artist, choreographer
«Jazz Nights: A Confidential Journey is a splendid documentary that reveals a number of things – that jazz is not dead; that it is more than just an entertainment form, but truly a spiritual path; that those who play it, even in a hash bar, are thoughtful, articulate, and a pleasure to listen to. The filmmakers got it right, balancing superb music with an ongoing and intelligent contemplation/narrative from the performers about jazz and its pursuit. Highly recommended.»
— Dennis McNally, cultural historian and author
«At the heart of creative music, there is the language of life, truth, love, tragedy, and expression. The therapeutically shared musical catharsis that emanates from Jazz was intimately captured with rich color, texture, and solid sound storytelling. A documentary for all to see!»
— LeRoy Downs, The Jazzcat
«Hal Masonberg’s sensual, understated documentary Jazz Nights: A Confidential Journey (2016) makes a case for jazz returning to the night. And not just the literal night but the night of alternative spaces of the L.A. underground and word-of-mouth, to music free from club and record label skulduggery and allowed to breathe again.»
— Matthew Duersten, StompBeast
HAL MASONBERG
Hal Masonberg is a filmmaker and professional music photographer specializing in jazz and improvisational music. He regularly takes photos for Jamboree, the Festival de Jazz de Barcelona, Mas i Mas Festival, Byron-Milano jazz club, and many other venues and festivals throughout the Barcelona area. Originally from the United States, Hal lived in Los Angeles for 30 years working in the film industry before relocating to Barcelona.
Hal studied film in Sweden and today works as a photographer, filmmaker, acting teacher, actor, writer, and musician (guitar) in Barcelona. His photos can be seen on permanent display in Jamboree’s Sala 3, and he teaches acting in English at the Frank Stein Studio in Barcelona.
