Montreal filmmaker Randy Cole adds another unique film to his growing public collection of short films on Jazz, with 'Pops,' a touching look at the bond between father and son musicians.
Respected Montreal trumpeter Kevin Dean tells the story of his ballad 'Pops,' which he composed for his father in Mason City Iowa. Dean wrote the song at the request of his father, and practiced it with the elder Dean, just months before his father's sudden passing. Montreal's best musicians join the younger Dean in a heartfelt performance of the song, which provides the backdrop for the story.
Richard Dean was both a successful farmer, and part of a musical family stretching back generations. His son Kevin grew up immersed in music, and the trumpeter describes one of the family jam sessions that shaped his love of Jazz.
The short film is emotional, but surprisingly unsentimental. Cole's approach is understated, lingering on a momentary pause in Dean's story, or a telling moment in the performance where the trumpeter lets his horn fall to his side and bows his head in thought.
“Randy's jazz mini-docs take the short-form format to new, engaging levels—providing us with an up-close look at the struggling artists behind the music." —Marc Myers, JazzWax
“Cole's films seem like chapters in a very large human book—and if that sounds like a substantial compliment, it is one." —Michael Steinman, JazzLives
Respected Montreal trumpeter Kevin Dean tells the story of his ballad 'Pops,' which he composed for his father in Mason City Iowa. Dean wrote the song at the request of his father, and practiced it with the elder Dean, just months before his father's sudden passing. Montreal's best musicians join the younger Dean in a heartfelt performance of the song, which provides the backdrop for the story.
Richard Dean was both a successful farmer, and part of a musical family stretching back generations. His son Kevin grew up immersed in music, and the trumpeter describes one of the family jam sessions that shaped his love of Jazz.
The short film is emotional, but surprisingly unsentimental. Cole's approach is understated, lingering on a momentary pause in Dean's story, or a telling moment in the performance where the trumpeter lets his horn fall to his side and bows his head in thought.
“Randy's jazz mini-docs take the short-form format to new, engaging levels—providing us with an up-close look at the struggling artists behind the music." —Marc Myers, JazzWax
“Cole's films seem like chapters in a very large human book—and if that sounds like a substantial compliment, it is one." —Michael Steinman, JazzLives
