Like movies and popcorn, jazz and poetry go hand in hand. On July 9, we celebrate the birthday of trumpeter and composer, Lee Morgan, with a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary, I Called Him Morgan, and a live poetry reading from the 4-Star stage by poet Michael Koch, accompanied by Bobby Cobb on kalimba.
On a snowy night in February 1972, the 33 year old jazz trumpet star Lee Morgan was shot dead by his common-law wife, Helen, during a gig at a club in New York City. The murder sent shockwaves through the jazz community, and the memory of the event still haunts the people who knew the Morgans. Helen served time for the crime and, following her release, retreated into obscurity. Over 20 years later, a chance encounter led her to give a remarkable interview. Helen’s revealing audio “testimony” acts as a refrain throughout the film, which draws together a wealth of archival photographs and footage, notable talking heads and incredible jazz music to tell the ill-fated pair’s story. Part true-crime tale, part love story, and an all-out musical treat, I CALLED HIM MORGAN is a stirring tribute to two unique personalities and the music that brought them together. A film by Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin (My Name Is Albert Ayler). Featuring cinematography by Oscar-nominated DoP Bradford Young (Selma, Arrival)."
MICHAEL KOCH is a poet, translator, and visual artist whose Jamaican-Slavic heritage only partially explains his passion for syncopation and absurdity. He shares a birthday with the great jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, whose music has been inspiring him for almost 60 years. He will be accompanied on kalimba by BOBBY COBB (Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids, among others.)