Some musical legends can hide in the background with people sometimes discovering them after they are gone though they seemed to touch many lives unbeknownst to most of us. “And Damn He Could Play: The Marcus Belgrave Story” (Sonic Cinema/World Premiere) is the story of Marcus Belgrave, a trumpet player who started in the 1950s but eventually made his way to settle in Detroit. He probably could have made his way in New York, Montreal or New Orleans as a big time player but Detroit for some reason drew him. His early years saw him tour in the 50s with Ray Charles. From the stories he told in archive interviews it seemed to be a time for sure but one with pressure and a lot of chaos despite Charles becoming a household name. From interviews with his students as well as his kids, Belgrave was a hard taskmaster but precise to the end. He had small vices but none that most of us can’t claim to have. He crossed paths with the greats including Wynton Marsalis (now director of Jazz At Lincoln Center — who is interviewed in the doc). He also has stints in NYC where he interacted with Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk. He was always there and was ambitious but seemed happy where he was though money was never a factor. He loved but his personal life despite a couple kids by different women paled in comparison to his craft.
Timashion Jones directs between music interludes with a deft hand showing a mentor who could see something in students maybe they couldn't see and Helping shape the next generation, perhaps to his own detriment. Detroit, as today, has had its ups and downs but Belgrave never left it. After the Charles years, he starts to establish, like in many cities, a jazz collective locally. This coincided with the years of 1967 to 1969 which is when protests rocked the nation including shutting down Detroit in a way. The later years in the doc show his students who, when they became known always brought him with them. He also had a good compatriot in saxophonist Charles Gabriel who eventually brought him on tour internationally doing standards as festivals and workshops around the world. The Tribe (the collective in Detroit) self released albums. Over the years, those albums they were able to make in the late 60s found life and fans, especially in the UK. This led to a later life reconnaissance for Belgrave as well. He eventually contracted COPD but what was interesting is that his horn playing with air kept his lungs working, even when he was on oxygen tank. He would make sure to do it every day. But the life ended but in the way he may or may not have wanted to. But his death as related by his last wife (who was also an associate producer on the doc) was still lyrical. "And Damn He Could Play" tells an interesting story of one of jazz’s cool and steady background players who was content to be in the room and pass on what he had learned. 87%/B/B+
By Tim Wassberg
