Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
A series of short films paired with portions of saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff’s Path Of Totality (Whirlwind) are set to be released through June.
(Photo: Evan Shay)Saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff and his troupe Flux recently issued Path Of Totality (Whirlwind), a recording praised in the February issue of DownBeat as being “a stunning, deep dive of an album, the sort of music in which one could spend hours submersed.”
In addition to issuing that recording, the bandleader has sought out a number of filmmakers to interpret the music in a batch of short films. Below is the debut of the film for “Splatter,” an animated work by Udo Prinsen, who also has collaborated with Dutch drummer Han Bennink.
“I wanted to do something different than a music video, and I’ve always loved animation and film,” Nachoff said of the visual component to Path Of Totality. “The compositions on this recording are very expansive and cinematic in scope; they lend themselves well to a creative visual. I provided each filmmaker the background inspirations for their piece and gave them a lot of freedom in their approach. It’s been fascinating to see how each of them interprets the music—both the differences and similarities.”
Other contributors to the short-film series are _eljka Blak_i_, JiYe Kim, Trent Freeman, Lee Hutzulak and Anne Beal.
For additional information about Path Of Totality, visit the Whirlwind website. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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