Swing Sister, Swing
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings The Band Available In Virtual Cinema
By Kia Lisby
As we have been social distancing for a year and locked indoors, home cinematic viewing has grown throughout the pandemic. Movies have shifted from weekly releases in the theater to buying and renting with a click.
It’s a field of dreams where virtual cinema can thrive.
Case in point: Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings The Band (2015) based on the true-life story of a jazz-swing music legend. The film begins streaming March 5 at 7 p.m. on the “eventive” website.
Mary Lou Williams was a child prodigy who became a jazz pianist and composer in the early 20th century. Born May 8, 1910, in Atlanta, Ga, Williams had a bright innovative future ahead of her. She had perfect pitch and a highly developed musical memory by age four and began her professional debut in 1922.
Williams played for musical icons such as Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, and Duke Ellington.
In 1929, Williams started her career arranging music after moving to Oklahoma with her husband John Williams to join Andy Kirk and the Twelve Clouds of Joy. Throughout her career, Williams also arranged for Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and many more.
The composer had a successful career in music until her passing in 1981.
Filmmaker Carol Bash
The film was produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Carol Bash. She has over 15 years of experience in broadcast journalism and independent documentaries. Bash has worked with several prestigious documentary production companies in roles ranging from Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Coordinating Producer, Archival Producer and Associate Producer. Bash said her film was selected by the African Diaspora International Film Festival’s (ADIFF) husband and wife team, Reinaldo Barroso-Spech and Diarah N’Daw- Spech to show virtually.
The virtual film is $12. Viewers will have 7 days to start watching. Once streaming is set to start, viewers will have 48 hours to finish watching.
