LA Rebellion filmmaker Barbara McCullough’s latest film looks into the life of the once-blacklisted musical genius Horace Tapscott—the consummate musician, community activist, and mentor to generations of jazz artists. Screening followed by a conversation with director Barbara McCullough and composer Renée Baker.

Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot, Barbara McCullough, 2017, 72 min

Barbara McCullough, director, production manager and visual effects artist, cites experimental film as her first love, always striving to “tap the spirit and richness of her community by exposing its magic, touching its textures, trampling old stereotypes, and revealing untold stories of African American life.” Her work is screened internationally and includes Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification (1979), Shopping Bag Spirits and Freeway Fetishes: Reflections on Ritual Space (1980), and World Saxophone Quartet (1980). From 2003-2010, she served as Manager of Recruitment at Rhythm & Hues, one of the world’s leading producers of visual effects and animation for motion pictures. McCullough is Chair and Professor of visual effects at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Renée Baker, Chicago violinist/violist, composer, painter, and poet, has composed over 200 compositions ranging string quartets to much larger ensembles. As a proud new member of the venerable AACM, her musical affiliations have included Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Orchestra, David Boykin Expanse, Orbert Davis w/Strings Attached, Doug Carn, Karl Siegfried’s Galaxy String Quartet, Great Black Music Ensemble (AACM), Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

Related To:

• Cinema 53