WMPG’s Jazz at The Movies and the Portland Conservatory of Music are proud to present Louis Malle’s classic film noir film Elevator to the Gallows with the incredible improvised score by Miles Davis on Saturday, Oct. 12th.
Director Louis Malle’s first feature film Ascenseur pour L’Echafaud is a1958 crime thriller shot at night in Paris in B&W. With its innovative cinematography techniques, it heralded the arrival of the French New Wave. Film critic Roger Ebert called Malle’s Elevator “a noir masterpiece.”
Elevator to the Gallows was Miles Davis’ first film score, and was recorded by the trumpeter in an entirely unrehearsed and improvised session while he was in Paris. His haunting and lyrical playing on Elevator mark Miles Davis’s first foray into modal jazz, and a hint of what was to come, his brilliant jazz masterpiece Kind of Blue one year later.
Elevator To The Gallows is a treat for both the eyes and the ears. Come join us for this fabulous French flick and its stunning jazz score Saturday, October 12th, 7 PM, at The Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., in Portland. Admission is FREE.