''One Note at a Time'' is a British/American documentary film directed by Renee Edwards. The film follows New Orleans musicians post-

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. It is dedicated to the late drummer Herman Roscoe Ernest. The film was officially released in the UK and Ireland in 2018 and is due for release in the US and Canada during 2019.

Background

The film explores the relationship between New Orleans, the musicians, the environment, and the American social welfare system that is unable to support them. Many of the musicians live and work in poverty, going from gig to gig, needing to pay for medical and living expenses. The city, at a tipping point when it comes to supporting the musicians, still needs them for its culture and economy. Much screen time is spent with the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic who struggle to provide medical care to artists too well off for Medicaid and too poor to afford Obamacare. Filmed over a 4-year period, ''One Note at a Time'' is a feature-length documentary that follows the lives of the musicians and the difficulties they face. It highlights young musicians and how the gentrification of the city has brought with it new sound pollution laws, which impact the 24-hour party culture the city has enjoyed.

Featured artists

''One Note at a Time'' captures new and last interviews with a number of musicians and artist as it tracks them over a 4-year period. Notable musicians featured include:

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

, Ben Jaffe,

Kermit Ruffins Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, composer, and actor from New Orleans. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He ...

Charmaine Neville Charmaine Neville (born March 31, 1956) is a New Orleans-based jazz singer. Biography Raised Catholic, she is the daughter of Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers. She is the lead singer of the Charmaine Neville Band, a jazz and funk ba ...

, Al "Carnival Time" Johnson,

Ellis Marsalis Jr. Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. (November 14, 1934 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and educator. Active since the late 1940s, Marsalis came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s as the patriarch of the musical Marsalis family, whe ...

, Barry Martyn,

Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III Herman Ernest III (August 12, 1951 – March 6, 2011), best known as Roscoe, was an American drummer in the New Orleans funk scene, and is best known for his drumming in Dr. John's band the Lower 911 for almost 30 years. "Renowned for his large ...

, Wardell Quezergue, Irma Thomas, Clarke Peters, Donald Harrison, and Delfeayo Marsalis.

Release

The film was screened at film and music festivals in the UK, Germany and the US in 2017, receiving a number of accolades. The official release by UK and Ireland distributor Munro Films was August 24, 2018, where the film was screened in UK cinemas. The digital film was released on September 3, 2018. The official soundtrack containing a unique live recorded track by New Orleans' icon

Dr John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

was released worldwide by Louisiana Red Hot Records on August 24, 2018. US and Canada digital release by The Golden Media Group, began on April 14, 2019.

Soundtrack

Awards

The film has won international and domestic festival awards, including: * Best Feature Documentary – Studio City International Film Festival (2017) * Gold Winner – Los Angeles Film Review Industry Awards (2017) * Best Documentary – Nottingham International Film Festival (2017) * Film of the Festival –

Oxford International Film Festival The Oxford International Film Festival or OIFF (not to be confused with the Oxford International Film Festival, OXIFF, based in Oxford, England) was established in Oxford, Ohio in 2007 by founder and event director J.C. Schroder. Festival History ...

(2017) * Best Feature Documentary – Oxford International Film Festival (2017) * Best Score – Oxford International Film Festival (2017)

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, id=4780544 2016 films American musical documentary films British musical documentary films Documentary films about New Orleans Documentary films about Hurricane Katrina 2010s English-language films 2010s American films 2010s British films English-language documentary films