Daniel Lanois Makes Music on Film
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Released at the Toronto International Film Festival and with music and film makers present to find distribution, Here Is What Is first screened in Sept 2007.
The media release for Here Is What Is, said: Technology is easy to measure but heart and soul is not. Lanois has ridden the constant wave of change and finds himself right back where he started embracing passion and people. The people in the room have always been his power and his contagious commitment is still his vital ingredient. What drives people is what interests Lanois; he doesn’t like to talk about it because it might then disappear.
None-the-less, Lanois and friends took questions and chatted after the movie. Lanois said that a music CD may be produced from the film. Here Is What Is, the album may be released as early as March 2008.
Meantime, Lanois’ most recent work is an easy listening album, Balladonna, including 13 pieces offering some of his ambient influences.
Click image for Amazon.com or see the jazzwines.com SHOP for iTunes links for this music.
Lanois’ film features jazz drummer, Brian Blade. He has appeared with several jazz groups. Most recently, Truth and Beauty:
And he has put out two CDs of his own, the first in 1998: Brian Blade Fellowship:
For perfectly blended drums and ensemble, also check out Blade’s second work, Perceptual. It gets full points with listeners.
Here Is What Is, is a new film from renowned musician, music producer and now film maker Daniel Lanois.
Pitched as “arguably the best rock-n-roll film of 2007, this film speaks about inspiration and creativity. It shows the essence of jazz.
The artistic beauty and risk in Here Is What Is comes from putting visual instruments into the hands of sonic artists. It’s innovative and collaborative. It’s a genuine musicians’ film.
It’s also very Lanois, ambient on the big screen—highly focused small spots light individual players and mix with big washes of all-embracing imagery.
“We said, OK. Here is a rare commodity: People playing music and the camera capturing the playing of the music,” explained Lanois, “Not…getting a B-roll and someone’s foot tapping or the establishing shot. We thought that simple truth would communicate to anyone even if they’re not a musician.”
“The truth has some kind of a special power in it. And that’s what we’re really trying to convey is the power of the moment,” added Adam Vollick, a young photographer, who shot most of the film. “Being around these powerful musicians, it’s hard not to get lost in the moment and perform with them.”
Working with Vollick and Adam Samuels, Lanois jumps from sound to visuals using a range of hand-held and low-resolution video cameras, and even security cameras to capture the making of music.
One medium morphs into another with contrasts revealed as rather arbitrary distinctions and visual artifacts. There is no question that Lanois and musicians can make film. The only question might be “why now”?
“I’ve always been driven by visuals. It’s a nice way to work, to have a cinematic perspective. Before we make music we often conjure up images,” said Lanois “So maybe this [film] was coming all along. Whether it’s sound or images, some people just have a knack. But I don’t think we’re directly responsible for that. The tones…already exist in the music. Really as musicians, we just go along for the ride.”
At points in Here Is What Is, low-resolution video is stretched onto the big film screen, jumping documentary-reality into the realm of animation. As color imagery drops out to black and white, clear voice and luscious music provides the colorful flow. We experience fresh access to artist and creative process.
The relationship between extracted or derivative sound, post-production, studio overdubs and live performance “in the room” and “in the moment” are revealed. Instruments, technology and players are all visible and audible as essential elements in the creative process for artists with such discipline and innate talent as Lanois.
The roots of jazz...overwhelming talent
Some of the film’s best moments include long intimate shots. There’s an opening sequence of pianist Garth Hudson, formerly of The Band, fingers on ivory. And there is Lanois playing his pedal steel guitar. This is beloved player and beloved instrument.
Brian Eno chats about how beautiful creations grow from nothing or appear from absolute “crap”. And, footage of U2 shows how music emerges from chaos. Performers and producers gather in Morocco—captured on handheld camera – to jam their way from the messy moment towards new hits.
A chance and fun appearance by Billy Bob Thornton provides us a view of him, as an audience member in the film, as syncopated accent in the rhythm of the film.
Overall, the visuals sing with the on-going beat from jazz drummer Brian Blade. The camera goes along as the musicians enjoy a journey with Blade, home to Louisiana to play at his father’s Zion Baptist Church in Shreveport.
The roots of jazz, including the very spiritual, are revealed though him, his quiet confidence and overwhelming talent.
“For me I see it as a gift of God that we have this ability to be with each another and doing with each other. “ Blade commented. “Even before I met Dan, it was like I knew him in a way. It’s like a constant conversation and wanting to be with each other, even if we’re not standing side by side. We keep each other. The drumming is just an extension of that. With every strike you get out there, it’s the thankfulness, the joy and the struggle with all.”
“We’re only carriers of torches,” concluded Lanois. “Hopefully, we’re living examples of our own philosophies. And I think the members of our cast are all about that...they are like my family.”
‘Here Is What Is’ leaves you mesmerized, feeling the explosion into life of the creative moment, and the energy in a room of artists. A genuine and personal expression, this film is not just jazz. The visual medium invites us to love it and those who make it.
