EXTERIOR: DAY--DESERTED URBAN STREET OR ALLEY
(NO MUSIC)
A TEENAGER is pasting POSTERS on a building's wall or the plywood wall of a construction site. We only get to see him for a moment as the CAMERA moves past him down the street. His clothes are funky. Could easily be work clothes or something you might expect to see him wearing while hanging out with friends on the street. We don't get a true look at him or the posters. The CAMERA moves past him down the street or around a corner. Two or three young kids run along side, then past the camera and out of frame.
(MUSIC STARTS)
As the bassline intro begins, the CAMERA, cruising at an unusually low angle, stops and notices a MAN alone on the street in a hat, dressed in a suit from the 1940's framed by some architectural element playing the intro on an UPRIGHT BASS. We can't see features because of the shadow cast by the brim of the hat and the head tipped down. The CAMERA explores him and the bass for a few seconds and then moves again down the street/alley a bit and comes upon a PAINTED BACKDROP of draped theater curtains. It stands in the middle of the street supported very obviously by some high boys or other light stands and a cross bar. Large spring clamps secure the backdrop to the cross-pole. The KIDS we saw earlier are tossing a ball around in front of it but seem oblivious to the backdrops's presence.
A GOOFY LOOKING KID (nerdy? Maybe plastic eyeglass frames with tape on the wing, his pants are floods) takes a place in front of the backdrop and sets up a school style metal music stand. Sheet music spilling off. He's holding a soprano saxophone. The kids stop playing and notice him. They start snickering and pointing. After a few seconds of arranging things, the kid begins to play. Via extreme close-ups, the camera investigates his hands fingering the sax, his mouth, his eyes, foot tapping out a temp. And, although we cannot hear him, his body language and the stunned and favorable reaction of the other kids lit us know hi is apparently wailing. He finishes and does a quick bow.
CUT TO:
Poster hanging kid. We still can't quite see what they are for.
THREE B-BOYS (could be members of Buckshot) standing near/sitting on a car on the street/alley apparently doing a rap with each other. They are animated and having a good time. We can barely hear them under the music track. The CAMERA seems to be in their group--moving around. Close and intimate and almost involved in what they are doing.
CUT TO:
TEENAGER hanging posters. We can now see he is putting up advertisements for jazz club performances. Oddly, some seem contemporary and others from another period of time, like the 1930's. One announces the appearance of Louis Armstrong. Another the Branford Marsalis Trio.
CUT TO: BACKDROP
Some YOUNG PEOPLE are playing Double Dutch. We watch as they go through their steps and patter. Again, we can barely hear them chanting their patter under the music track as the camera floats around them. Several cuts extreme close-ups to their feet and the rope hitting the ground from a worm's eye-view. Extreme close-ups of hand turning ropes. Hand may go in and out of frame. Alternate between slo-mo and real time.
Alternate POV as a rope jumper. Facing one of the rope turners who is chanting as s/he turns their ropes. The ropes become tangled and s/he disses the CAMERA for its inept Double-Dutch skills.
The CAMERA sees the KIDS in a group with back to camera. They are apparently watching something and having a good time. CAMERA works its way through the group and sees to fairly old people sitting on stools or milk crates playing harmonica and guitar. One is also singing. (Might be a good spot for a cameo--maybe B.B. King or another artist friendly with and respected by Branford.) The two play for a few moments and then rise from their seats and take a bow. The kids applaud them and the guitarist waves in return. As he does so, his PICK accidentally flies from his hand and camera follows it through the air as it travels in slow motion. When pick hits the ground there's an extreme close-up of a man's foot in a tap shoe foot stomping it. Two NICHOLAS BROTHERS types in tuxedos standing in front of the BACKDROP begin a dazzling tap dance routine. This segment is shot with a hand cranked camera which gives the film a unique look reminiscent of films of the 1930's (Also could be done in telecine). This scene is in black and white. The CAMERA rapidly pushes in to an extreme close-up of one tuxedo and GOES TO BLACK.
The CAMERA pulls back from black to reveal the surface of a phonograph record and child's hand on it. As the camera pulls back, we are looking straight down from overhead. We see one KID sitting on the ground with a cheesy portable phonograph in front of him/her. S/he is sitting in front of a real (adult) DJ (one of the Buckshot crew) and mimicking the DJ's moves. Alternating close-ups of DJ's turntable. It happens to be a Buckshot record. Label fills frame.
Dissolve to different record label. A 78 by Ella Fitzgerald or Billy Eckstine. It's being held by one of the KIDS (or Buckshot member) directly in front of their face. S/he lowers it to reveal face and camera simultaneously rises over his/her head. As they drop out of frame the focus shifts to a man in the background with a guitar sitting against a wall of the alley/ street. Cut to a closer shot. He looks like the classic photo of Robert Johnson. THE CAMERA investigates him, framing his hands fingering and fretting, parts of his face, then zooms into sound hole of his guitar which fills screen.
A MAN and WOMAN are walking in the middle of the street. Funky looking couple. The CAMERA follows them--behind and along side them. The camera work mirrors their energy. They are obviously taking about music. One of them has an instrument case slung over their shoulder. Their gestures suggest they are working out something they may be writing or arranging together. Hand gestures like playing a piano and mouthing the notes. The MAN is holding some music charts and showing them to the woman as he offers his suggestions. The discussion is very animated.
They walk past the TEENAGER who is still hanging posters. The couple walks out of frame as the camera pauses to look at the TEENAGER. He turns with his tools/equipment in tow and walks toward camera filling the frame.
CUT TO:
Two people on the street. (Maybe outside what appears ro be a stage door.) Casual. A recognizable JAZZ ARTIST (maybe Branford) is apparently being interviewed by someone who has a small cassette recorder which s/he alternates holding to their mouth and speaking and then to the artist's mouth who speaks.
CUT TO: BACKDROP
A TEACHER and a portable blackboard. She's older and rather bookish. There are notes on the board about the history of the blues and other topics. She displays a multi-octave harmonica, pointing out some features. Then apparently (because we cannot hear her) starts to jam.
A couple of the kids begin playing AROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS@ (This could occur when the lyric says, Aenie, menie, minie, moe@). One of them notices something happening off camera and alerts the others.
CUT TO: Some very conservative Christian Coalition-looking types. One is holding a news magazine or newspaper with a young black man's face on it. (Fictitious) headline reads something like, AThe Case Against MC Fly.@ S/he shakes it disapprovingly. Another displays some cassettes being stomped. Extreme close-ups of the faces of the pair.
For the chorus fade up from black to BACKDROP. A group is playing. They look like King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (a jazz band from the early 1920's).
Fade to black
Up from Black A DJ with turntables is doing his/her thing.
Fade to Black
Up from Black TRUMPET PLAYER in 40's garb in front of old mic, playing
Fade to Black
Up from Black. Ella Fitzgerald-like SINGER from similar era in front of same mic, snapping fingers apparently scatting
Fade to Black
Up from Black One of the KIDS as a RAPPER holing a modern mic, striding around in front of backdrop, apparently rapping.
For repeat of chorus, dissolves from previous scenes/ visitations can be used OR on of the primary people from each of the previous scenes can appear in front of backdrop.
For final chorus of:
Change, Strange, This, That, Jazz, Rap
each on of the people we wee in the chorus is revisited, except this tie each is simply standing stationary looking at the camera as if for a formal portrait. Fade in and out to each one.
At end of song, during bass riff, we again see the bass player. He lays bass on it's side and exits walks out of frame. One of the rappers we saw earlier walks into view and picks up the bass an with some curiosity tentatively begins plucking at strings.
