[78-L] Jazz Film: “They Died Before They Were 40”

[Geoffrey Wheeler]

This morning, I received this e-mail from Howard E. Fischer, whom some 
of you may know, and decided to share it with 78-Listers.

“They Died Before 40” - new jazz film, project by howard fischer

More than two dozen gifted jazz artists died before reaching the age of 
40. Most of them are relatively unknown, some even to jazz fans. Many 
of them made significant contributions to this art form. All of them 
had much more to give and, individually and collectively, would have 
made a greater impact on this music had they lived full lives. It is 
important that their contributions be made known, their music heard and 
that we show how and why they died.

Many people may have heard of Charlie Parker, who died at 34. But 
others, such as Herschel Evans, who died before reaching 30, are very 
little known and their stories untold. For example, Jo Jones, drummer 
and an integral part of the Count Basie band for many years, has called 
Evans the greatest musician he ever played with. He said that Evans 
made everyone he played with better.

Who was this giant, what made him an important creative artist and why 
did he die so young? These are questions that this film will answer 
concerning Evans and many more. Others to be featured will be Bunny 
Berigan, Chick Webb, Fats Waller, Charlie Christian, Jimmy Blanton, 
Clifford Brown and Chu Berry. Almost two dozen others will be 
mentioned. Through archival film footage, photographs, reminiscences 
and expert discourse we will learn more about these artists, develop an 
appreciation of their artistry and reveal how and why their careers 
were cut short. This film will expand our cultural heritage for this 
internationally renowned art form.

We are seeking film footage and stills plus any documents, contacts for 
family members, musicians and others who knew them for the eight 
artists mentioned above.

Who Are They (the first eight will be featured)
Charlie Christian, guitar - died at 23 in 1942
Chu Berry, tenor saxophone - died at 31 in 1941
Jimmy Blanton, bass - died at 21 in 1942
Bunny Berigan, trumpet - died at 33 in 1942
Clifford Brown, trumpet - died at 25 in 1956
Chick Webb, drums - died at 30 in 1939
Herschel Evans, tenor saxophone - died at 30 in 1939
Fats Waller, piano, vocals - died at 39 in 1943

Charlie Parker, alto saxophone - died at 34 in 1955
Bix Beiderbecke, cornet - died at 28 in 1931
Fats Navarro, trumpet - died at 26 in 1950
Sonny Berman, trumpet - died at 22 in 1947
Lee Morgan, trumpet - died at 33 in 1972
Clyde Hart, piano - died at 34 in 1945
Lil Green, vocals - died at 35 in 1954
Eddie Costa, piano, vibes - died at 32 in 1962
Robert Johnson, singer, guitar - died at 27 in 1938
Dick Wilson, tenor saxophone - died at 30 in 1941
Wynton Kelly, piano - died at 39 in 1971
Tommy Ladnier, trumpet - died at 39 in 1939
James "Bubber" Miley, trumpet - died at 29 in 1932
Nat Jaffe, piano - died at 27 in 1945
Frank Teschemacher, clarinet, saxes - died at 25 in 1933
Eddie Lang, guitar - died at 30 in 1933
Wardell Gray, tenor saxophone - died at 34 in 1955
Albert Ayler, tenor saxophone - died at 34 in 1970
Dinah Washington, vocals - died at 39 in 1963
Serge Chaloff, baritone saxophone - died at 33 in 1957
Clarence "Pinetop" Smith, piano, vocals - died at 24 in 1929
Eric Dolphy, saxophone - died at 36 in 1964

Preliminary Budget:
Research $ 2,500
Film Footage 8,000
Music 5,000
Photographs 6,500
Producer-Director-Writer(H. Fischer) 15,000
Director of Photography 15,000
Tapes and Accessories 5,000
Consultants 3,000
Editing 20,00
Sound 3,500
Travel and Transportation 10,000
Errors & Omissions Insurance 1,500
Program Promotion 2,500
Advertising 2,000
Website 1,000
Educational Materials 1,500
Community Outreach 2,500
Office and Miscellaneous 15,000
TOTAL Preliminary Budget $120,000

Funding Sought $120,000

*** Funding requested here will be used for a promotional video to be 
uploaded to YouTube and other sites and to promote for additional 
funding.

Financial Participation Available. Contact:
Howard Fischer - Producer, Director, Writer
155 West 72nd Street, #404, New York, NY 10023
(212)579-0689
Email: info at A1documentaries.com

Born in the Bronx, New York in 1939. Played street games and bonded 
with 16 friends of similar age(subject of first film). Played high 
school and college baseball and basketball. Aspired to a career in 
baseball. Instead created four distinct careers.
■ As an attorney, specialized in the arts representing music, dance, 
film and theatre organizations and individuals. Wrote for various 
publications on the law and the arts.
■ In 1972 founded and became the Executive Director of the New York 
Jazz Museum in New York City. By 1975 the Museum had purchased its own 
building in midtown Manhattan and eventually amassed an archive of over 
25,000 items. It also produced exhibits, film programs, live music and 
a jazz puppet show for children. In 1977 a power struggle destroyed the 
Museum; (wrote 2004 book - Jazz Expose: The New York Jazz Museum and 
the Power Struggle That Destroyed It).
■ From 1977 to 1987 wrote a few books and published them as well as a 
few newsletters. In 1988 founded, published and edited a newspaper, 
entitled Treasure Chest, that specialized in antiques and collectibles. 
It was sold in 1996.
■ Started the fourth career in 1996 - documentary filmmaking. Produced, 
wrote and directed the acclaimed film THE HOLLAND AVENUE BOYS: A 
SUCCESS STORY. (See website: http://www.A1documentaries.com).

Tsuyoshi Kimoto - Director of Photography
A native of Japan, he came to the United States about 14 years ago. For 
8 years he spent in cinematography studies. For four years he trained 
under veteran PBS documentary film producer/director Marian Marzynski 
and premier cameraman Slawomir Grunberg.
■ He was an American Film Institute Cinematography fellow in 1995-6 and 
obtained a BFA degree in 1993 from the Rhode Island School of Design. 
He now lives in Brooklyn, New York and works as a free-lance 
cinematographer with his own top-of-the-line equipment. A number of his 
film projects have been on television and at film festivals such as 
Sundance.

Dan Morgenstern - Consultant
Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University since 
1976. Dan Morgenstern is a jazz historian, author, editor, and 
archivist active in the jazz field since 1958. The Institute of Jazz 
Studies is the largest collection of jazz-related materials anywhere. 
Morgenstern is co-editor of the ANNUAL REVIEW OF JAZZ STUDIES and the 
monograph series STUDIES IN JAZZ, published jointly by the IJS and 
Scarecrow Press. The author of JAZZ PEOPLE (DaCapo Press), Morgenstern 
still writes frequently about jazz.
■ He was chief editor of DOWN BEAT from 1967 to 1973 and served as New 
York editor from 1964, prior to which he edited the periodicals 
METRONOME and JAZZ. He has been jazz critic for the NEW YORK POST, 
record reviewer for the CHICAGO SUN TIMES, and New York correspondent 
and columnist for England's JAZZ JOURNAL and Japan's SWING JOURNAL.
■ Morgenstern served as panel co-chair, panelist, and consultant to the 
National Endowment for the Arts' Jazz Program; is a former vice 
president and trustee of the Recording Academy (NARAS); was a 
co-founder of the Jazz Institute of Chicago; served on the boards of 
the New York Jazz Museum and the American Jazz Orchestra, and is a 
director of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation and the Mary Lou 
Williams Foundation. He has been a member of Denmark's International 
JAZZPAR Prize Committee since its inception in 1989.
■ A prolific annotator of record albums, Morgenstern has won six Grammy 
Awards for Best Album Notes (1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1991, and 1995). 
He received ASCAP's Deems Taylor Award for JAZZ PEOPLE. Born in Germany 
and reared in Austria and Denmark, Morgenstern came to the U.S. in 
1947.

Howard E. Fischer
155 West 72nd Street
Suite 404
New York, NY 10023
(212)579-0689
Email: hfis646942 at aol.com