‘LOCAL JAZZ’ INTRODUCES THE WORLD TO SAM KING WITH AN INSPIRING PORTRAYAL OF AN ARTIST AND THE MAKINGS OF HIS TALENT SPRAWLING MUSIC SERIES RETURNS WITH AMBITIOUS ODE TO DURHAM’S UNIQUE JAZZ SCENE

(DURHAM, NC—July 7, 2020) Local Jazz preemptively canceled its spring and summer seasons because of the coronavirus. Despite these necessary cancellations, Local Jazz is pressing forward in a way that advances and celebrates Durham’s jazz scene through producing a documentary centered on some of its incomparable artists. The storytelling begins with Sam King Trio at Kingfisher: a mini-documentary/fundraiser for the larger work that shares the journey of NCCU’s most recent jazz progeny, saxophonist Sam King.

Joined by fellow Eagles and area standouts, drummer Dwayne Jordan and bassist Chris Mills—and filmed at the already beloved downtown Durham cocktail bar Kingfisher—Sam King Trio at Kingfisher offers a refreshing portrayal of an artist and the makings of his talent. The remarkable set from the trio—highlighted by spellbinding performances of “Out of Nowhere” and “Juju”— is interspersed between interviews, adding dimension to the storytelling. The marriage of King’s talent and the tucked away venue are pitch perfect. As a standalone film, Sam King is well worth the price of “admission,” but the ticket purchases also support the development of a larger work that promises to be a memorable and authentic celebration of Durham’s inimitable pool of jazz talent, NCCU’s renowned jazz studies program, and the Bull City itself.

Founder and curator King Kenney elected to move up his ambitious aim of documenting “the scene” after inspiring conversations with local jazz artists and enthusiasts. Producing a documentary has always been in the works for Kenney, but now, with much needed restrictions to live performances, he deems the all-important project the most fitting response to an unprecedented moment. “For years, I’ve made the claim that ‘jazz’ is Durham’s greatest export and telling the stories of the city’s many talented jazz musicians is the best way to substantiate that claim,” Kenney shared. “Music is universally recognized as a unifying language and jazz is music’s most unappreciated conduit for impassioned storytelling. My hope is that by sharing the stories of Durham’s rising stars—along with their influences, journeys, and challenges—that people will better connect with their artistry and its power.” Based on the trailer, Kenney’s decision to introduce us to Sam King first sets a high bar for what’s to come. 

Each ticket purchased will:

• receive access to the mini-doc, Sam King Trio at Kingfisher from Monday, July 20 through Sunday, July 26
• receive an invitation to our opening night screening of the completed documentary at TBA when the world permits
• receive an invitation to the opening reception of our commemorative art installation at Kingfisher when the world permits
• offer the financial support necessary for the production of the full-length documentary

Tickets are $10 and can be found here. The film will be accessible on Monday, July 20 through Sunday, July 26. Tickets are on sale now and are only available online and in advance.

ABOUT LOCAL JAZZ
Established in 2019, Local Jazz offers performance grants, dedicated stages to experience jazz showcases on select Monday nights, and an attentive audience for jazz musicians with Durham roots. In its first season, Local Jazz dispersed $15,000 in performance grants and highlighted the talents of Ernest Turner, Shana Tucker, Kate McGarry, Lynn Grisett, Autumn Rainey, Brian Horton, Thomas Taylor, Ariel Pocock, Al Strong, Kevin Beardsley, Shaquim Muldrow, Jasmine Best, Christian Tamburr, William Ledbetter, Kobie Watkins, Annalise Stalls, Blu Thompson, and others.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE VISIT LOCALJAZZ.CLUB