Jimmy McGary The Best Jazz You Never Heard

“You want to see how his music lives on and gets transferred into the present tense” -Christian Finger, Drummer & Composer New York, New York October 2018

Winner: Posthumous Documentary Award 2019 New York Jazz Film Festival

This one hour and thirteen-minute look at the jazz world of Cincinnati from 1968 to 1988 features interviews, rare recordings and the only known video of Jimmy McGary performing. The story is told in a nonbiographical style inviting the audience to experience the music and lifestyle of musicians struggling to eek out a living on the margins while managing to enjoy themselves to the fullest along the way.

Jazz improvisation techniques merged with the radical shifts of the 1960's "Jump Cut Revolutionaries" in France blur the line between music video and documentary. The result is a deeper experience with Jimmy McGary and his music extending beyond mere biography.

Saxophonist Christopher Braig spent ten months filming, editing, recording and documenting the legacy of Cincinnati jazz legend Jimmy McGary (1926-1993). Shot on location in Cincinnati, Louisville, Boston, and New York City this is Christopher's first attempt at working in Film.

​FEATURING: 14 time Grammy Nominee Fred Hersh, Wayne Yeager, Lynn Seaton, Pat Kelly, Steve Schmidt, Michael Skaggs, Sean McGary, Chuck Fertal, David Mathews, Rick VanMatre, Lou Lausche, and Carol McGary

CHRISTOPHER BRAIG IS AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE MUSIC OF JIMMY McGARY AND THE ORIGINAL MUSIC HE COMPOSED FOR THE FILM IN CONJUNCTION WITH FESTIVALS

  • Christopher Braig
    Director
  • Christopher Braig
    Writer
  • Christopher Braig
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    56 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    9,700 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 1080p DSLR and iPhone
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Caffe Vivace Coffee House - Jazz Lounge Premiere Screening
    Cincinnati Ohio
    United States
    April 25, 2019
    Premiere Sceening & Concert
    Coffee House | Jazz Lounge Caffè Vivace is a coffee house by day and a jazz lounge by night. It provides a space for Cincinnatians to gather, work, socialize and herald the musical art form of Jazz. Founded by Brent Gallaher and Vanessa Keeton with the goal of bringing a full-time jazz listening venue back to the Queen City, they paired it with a second passion for artisan coffee giving the residents of and visitors to Walnut Hills and the surrounding Cincinnati neighborhoods a place to grab their morning brew, hang out and work on their computers, or gather with friends over craftsman-quality coffee, espresso beverages, or even an alcoholic libation. As the workday draws to a close, patrons can stay and listen to our area's finest local jazz musicians, young and old, as well as the occasional regionally or nationally known artists. www.caffevivace.com
  • New York Jazz Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    August 1, 2019
    Official Selection Documentary Feature
Director Biography - Christopher Braig

Christopher Braig is an eclectic saxophonist, flutist, and composer. He has released two CD's of original music. Blue Morpho in 2016 and Free Jazz Dance Party in 2018.

Christopher performs with drummer Christian Finger and Peter Knoll in the New York City based experimental music trio "Breathe-Live" and frequently tours as a soloist and guest artist.

www.breathe-live.com

RECENT PERFORMANCES

ShapeShifter Lab
Breathe-Live CD Release Concert
Brooklyn New York

Forces In Motion Jazz Series with Lauren Lee at Silvana
New York, New York

Everything 7.0 Parkside Lounge
New York, New York

Winona Lake Jazz Festival with 4=ONE
Warsaw, Indiana

Lilly Pad - Third Life Studio - Outpost 186 with Marilena Paradisi
Boston, Massachusetts

Monticello Street Block Party
Chicago, Illinois

Harth Jazz Lounge - Schwartz's Point Jazz Club with Laura Campisi
Cincinnati, Ohio

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Growing up in Cincinnati I heard Jimmy McGary play dozens of times between 1985 and 1991. He has inspired and informed my career every since. I was driven to make this film with no experience because the story was likely to be lost to the icy silence of time.