DOC NYC 2022 Exclusive ELLIS Clip: Choosing Piano

Soon to premiere at DOC NYC, Sascha Just's Ellis tells the story of "a towering figure in the history of jazz."

As the official synopsis informs, Ellis Marsalis "composed and performed major works of modern jazz infused with a uniquely New Orleans touch.

"Along with his own uber-talented children Wynton and Branford Marsalis, he mentored a 'who's who' of jazz from multiple Grammy winner Jon Batiste to Harry Connick Jr., to hundreds of students who passed through his classes.

"Ellis lived through the Jim Crow era in New Orleans. With his music and his teaching, he defied the strictures of this rigidly segregated society and reframed jazz as a powerful tool in moving beyond racist oppression. He continually defined his own standards of excellence and instilled in Black students a deep understanding of their own cultural history -- a civil rights act in itself!

"As we are losing a generation that took its lived experience of racism and turned it into music that broke all boundaries, Ellis' story of a life lived with self-determination offers a path to confronting racial injustice through art today."

Earlier this year, Ellis Marsalis was included among the amazing mosaic painted in Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story, a very fine documentary, which made me want to learn more about the musician and his complete story. This film looks to be a vital addition to our knowledge about jazz and the people who create it.

Ellis will enjoy its World Premiere at DOC NYC on Thursday, November 10, with a repeat, in-person screening on Friday, November 11. It will be available online via the festival from November 11-27. Visit the film's page at the festival's official site. DOC NYC begins November 9 and runs through November 27.

Enjoy an official clip from the film below.