The story of Jackie Paris is one that any struggling artist can relate to: the stress, the ups and downs, the frustration, the fans... But where I lack some understanding is why he never received the recognition that a jazz musician of his caliber should. Jackie seemed to have it all: a unique voice, a potentially large fan base and the support of other artists in the biz. He toured and performed with the Charlie Parker Quintet, Lionel Hampton Big Band and Dizzy Gillespie Big Band. Obviously, the man didn’t lack talent. He was also a favorite of Charles Mingus, Ella Fitzgerald, Lenny Bruce and James Moody (just to name a few.)So, why did he fall off the cliff rather than climb towards the peak? Was it due to his own personality flaws like his hot temper and big ego? Or was it because of his competitors such as Chet Baker, Johnny Hartman, and Tony Bennett? Personally, I think it was a combination of many things that turned into the case of getting in too deep and not knowing how to get out. Some artists have the ability and strength to push past all of the stress and failures while others let it consume them, ultimately leading to a rapid, downhill spiral.
‘Tis Autumn is a fascinating documentary that takes the audience on a journey into the life of Jackie Paris while attempting to answer these questions. I am not much of a documentary fanatic myself, however, this story caught my eye. I was interested in learning about a bebop singer that I had never heard of. Despite my initial hesitation, I buckled down and watched the film and within the first ten minutes I was hooked. What drew me into ‘Tis Autumn was the obsessive nature of the director, Raymond De Felitta. He is driven by his desire to dig for answers until his hands are raw. De Felitta puts himself into this documentary and his longing becomes yours. The life of Jackie Paris was one of intrigue, success, failure, creativity and frustration. Yes, "great-artists-who-never-made-it" stories are a dime a dozen, but I think this one is DEFINITELY worth a shot.
Check out the trailer below!
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3 comments:
This DVD is almost worth watching just for the interview at the end with his first wife and son. It's a bit Jerry Springer, in a sad, sad way. It's kind of wrong of me to say this, but I think he made the right call when he bailed out on the original Mrs. Jackie Paris...his secret son from that relationship is still living at home...creepy...
yes, VERY creepy...and I would say more "Maury" then "Jerry Springer"..
The intriguing thing to me is that it's all really kind of a mystery, many of the Jazz "big shots" had egos, attitudes, substance problems that made jackie's issues look like damn fluffy cupcakes. Sometimes it seems that success / fame is just not in the cards for some people, all the right places at the right time with the right people but then ZERO to show for it. An Amazing story of an artist that could have been.
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