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In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Ethan Hawke stars as Chet Baker in the film Born to be Blue.
(Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg)Fans of jazz trumpet and cinema will have plenty to chew on in the coming weeks as two of the most iconic figures in jazz history will be portrayed on the silver screen. Born to be Blue, which stars Ethan Hawke as Chet Baker, will open in theaters on March 25, and Miles Ahead, which stars Don Cheadle as Miles Davis, opens in New York and Los Angeles April 1, with a wider release in the weeks following.
Hawke will visit the 92Y in New York City on March 17 to promote his movie. Following a preview screening of Born to be Blue, Hawke will discuss the film and his career with 92Y Reel Pieces moderator Annette Insdorf.
As part of the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, there will be two screenings of Miles Ahead: one on March 16 at the Paramount Theatre and another on March 19 at the Stateside Theatre.
Cheadle (who co-wrote the screenplay and directed the film) will participate in a panel discussion about the movie on March 17 at 12:30 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center.
Other participating panelists will be keyboardist Robert Glasper (who scored the film and is producing a forthcoming Miles Davis remix project); Erin Davis (Miles Davis Estate, executive producer of Miles Ahead); Vince Wilburn, Jr. (Miles Davis Estate, producer of Miles Ahead); Skip Lievsay (Oscar-winning supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer and sound designer); and Keyon Harrold (a Grammy-winning trumpeter who is featured on the film’s soundtrack). The panel will be moderated by Felix Contreras (NPR host, Alt-Latino).
Click below to see previews of each film, including a scene from Born to be Blue in which actor Kedar Brown portrays Davis.
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
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