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Starting Thursday, April 10, Jazz88 FM is launching the Reel Jazz Film Series at Minneapolis’ Bryant Lake Bowl’s Cabaret Theater. The series is a monthly event which will showcase independent jazz films with high school jazz quartets in the 30-minute pre-film set.

Tickets for the evenings are $10. Doors open at 6 PM, with the jazz quartets starting at 6:30 PM and the films starting at 7 PM. To reserve your tickets for the April 10th screening, e-mail Kevin Barnes at KevinB@Jazz88fm.com or call Kevin at 612.668.1735.

04.10 - ‘Tis Autumn: The Search For Jackie Paris

Using new and archival performance footage, found footage, still photography, historical audio clips and rare unreleased recordings, Oscar-nominated director Raymond De Felitta (Bronx Cheers, Two Family House, The Thing About My Folks) brings us an intimate portrait of this ground-breaking jazz vocalist’s life, his work with Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, and others plus his renown for his rendition of “Skylark”.

05.09 - New Orleans Music In Exile

Since hurricane Katrina struck, musicians who made a living performing and recording in New Orleans have kept on playing music elsewhere - much of it devoted to their beleaguered city. This film presents personal stories of horror and heartbreak from musicians who lived through the storm that wreaked havoc on the Big Easy. Featuring interviews and performances with Theresa Andersson, Dr. John, Cyril Neville, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Irma Thomas, Stephen Assaf, Eddie Bo, Marcia Ball, Kermit Ruffins, ReBirth Brass Band, The Iguanas, World Leader Pretend, Cowboy Mouth, beatinpath, Jon Cleary, and Papa Grows Funk.

06.12 - Imagine the Sound

This film profiles four musicians who were influential in the evolution of jazz into a free-form musical art: Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Bill Dixon, and Paul Bley. Canadian documentary filmmaker Ron Mann’s first feature documentary, made when he was only 22 years old. Considered to be by many critics as one of the all-time great jazz films, “Imagine The Sound” is newly restored and presented on HD and 5.1 stereo sound.