Sergio Mims, a Chicago based writer and film critic for Shadow and Act has seen the film and written a review!
Back in June, we profiled on S & A, a new short film documentary in post-production entitled "The Queen’s Suite", by London based filmmaker Corine Dhondee. It chronicles a young British jazz musician and arranger Peter Edwards who recreated and performed with a hand picked jazz orchestra, one of jazz master Duke Ellington’s forgotten works, "The Queen’s Suite".
Dhondee was inspired to make the film after attending an open rehearsal of the work in 2008. Not only was she won over by the music, but it was also the inspiring story of an extremely talented young Black British man who was equally inspired by an important yet forgotten piece of black art and culture.
The work, which Ellington wrote in 1958, was written for Queen Elizabeth II after he met her in Leeds when he was invited to perform at a music festival in Leeds. Only one recording was made of the work, which was sent to Buckingham Palace and it remained unperformed since then, except for one performance in 1988. After hearing the work on a tape, Edwards, in effect, wrote out and recreated the score and spent months arranging the work, putting the orchestra together, went through numerous rehearsals and finally performed the work to a rapturous audience in 2009.
Now after seeing a rough cut of Corine’s completed film, I can say without hesitation that it is a wonderful, totally captivating and superbly made film. Not only is it a thrill to hear an overlooked and forgotten masterwork for the first time by one of the greatest musicians and composers ever, but what is remarkable as well is how much Dhondee manages to pack in her film from dealing with Edwards’ background and childhood, his struggles to get the work performed and heard and Edwards’ own apprehension about not only being true to his art and Ellington’s music, but the pressure as well of trying to get everything right.
Ironically, if there is a fault with the film it it is its length, as the film is too short. One wishes it was longer to hear more of Ellington’s incredible music with its distinctive, jagged, syncopated African rhythms running throughout the work.
The film is currently going through a final sound mix before it starts making the film festival circuit and hopefully later will be shown on British and American television. So if an opportunity to see the film comes your way by all means check it out. It would be your misfortune to miss it. You can find out more about the film on its website HERE and below is the new trailer for the film:
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