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'Tis Autumn - The Search for Jackie Paris

Coverage by Nobuhiro Hosoki

- In your personal opinion, why didn't Lenny Bruce send a note that compliment Jackie?

(Raymond) I think Lenny Bruce was probably high when he wrote the letter, which doesn't mean that he didn't mean every word of it, only that he was feeling everything in a hightend state. In the morning, he probably still loved Jackie but forgot where he put the letter and didn't give it a second thought.

- Were there any specific reason that Jackie didn't seek a second career in Japan?

(Raymond) Finances, for one. He needed somebody to stake him to a tour and nobody did. Also he wasn't really a self-promoter and you need to be to leave your comfortable little nest in New York and go to a foreign land and set up a "comeback". With a good strong manager by his side, Jackie could probably have done this. But he didn't have that guy (or girl) supporting him.

- Thinking of one of Jackie's best songs "Skylark", how much does it change for you over the course of years from when you heard it first time to after you shot the film?

(Raymond) Like all of Jackie's records, "Skylark" gets deeper the more you listen to it. Now having known the man, I see his own life reflected in the lyrics, his yearning to break free from constraints and "labels" ("jazz singer" as opposed to "pop singer", "cult favorite" as opposed to "hitmaker" etc.)
"Skylark" is a song about yearning and desire and Jackie had a lot of both in his life, much of it unfulfilled. The lyric of the song also leaves the impression that the desire has yet to be fulfilled so I think the song
had additional significance to Jackie as he grew older.

- If Jackie made a record with Charlie Paker, it would've made a significant difference in his career direction, no doubt! But do you think that would help his personal life?

(Raymond) Yes, because much of his frustration was in having to explain who he was to everyone! If there had been more aural evidence, people wouldn't have had to ask "And who have you worked with?" and Jackie wouldn't have been so sensitive and touchy all the time.

- You said "Being unique is like a tired substitution of being unpopular." Seeing yourself as a filmmaker, how do you find similarity to Jackie on an artistic level?

(Raymond) Am I the Jackie Paris of filmmakers? Well, the jury's still out (I'm only 43 years old and plan to make a lot more movies) but on a certain level I do identify since the movies I make (and the ones that I like that others make) tend to be smaller, for a certain kind of audience and not necessarily mass appeal. I think it has to do with motives; who do you want to be? Jackie wasn't sure, in my opinion, if he wanted stardom or respect from the small circle of jazz fans that loved him. You have to be comfortable with who you are. Fortunately, I have always been. I don't think Jackie was.

- How do you gather that archival footage-- particularly rare footage of early works?

(Raymond) My producer David Zellerford did an amazing job of searching into the dark corners of the jazz collectors world and came up with the handful of things in the movie. I wish there was more. Maybe more will turn up.

- I heard that you also play a piano. Did you ever play with him while you're shooting? And how good is Jackie's tap dancing?

(Raymond) Yes, I'm a jazz pianist. No I didn't play with Jackie--the opportunity never arose. Alas, he was too sick to tap-dance when I knew him and, as we mention in the film, there is no known footage of him tap dancing. Those who knew him said he was amazing. It should be mentioned that one of the 20th century's acknowleged masters of tap, Steve Condos, was a dear friend of Jackie's and they used to tap-dance together. So if the company you keep is any indication of how good your are, there's the answer.

- How weird is it to see the Japanese version of his CD release here?

(Raymond) I think it's great that the Japanese love the music and have kept it alive! And I think it's shameful that the country in which it was made--America--couldn't care less.

- Before Jackie passed away, I didn't see in his face that he regretted anytinhg career wise so much as he couldn't meet his real son?

(Raymond) I agree. There was an unspoken sadness, an unfinished quality in that last interview, and I think he was thinking of his personal life, which was stormy and difficult. As an artist, even though Jackie was frustrated, he was very proud of what he'd done.

- What elements do you want to convey through this film?

(Raymond) The story of Jackie Paris is the story of a great artist who didn't get his due in his lifetime. It's not that unusual--in fact it's more commonplace than the story of a great artist being revered. It's just that we usually tell the story of success, not of failure. I wanted to tell the truth-- that being an artist is frequently less exotic and wonderful than it sounds, and that it takes a real commitment to stick with it in the face of what can transpire in a career in the arts. Most of all, I wanted to bring the music of Jackie Paris to people who'd never heard of him and give him a second life.