Frank

Hello scholars, and welcome to my blog. Today, I'm going to tell you all what I have been doing for the past few weeks when I'm not blogging.

The project I'm speaking of is an as-of-yet untitled documentary film about a Mr. Loren Pickford, a jazz musician, poet, and painter in his 60's who I came in contact with through a friend.

I'm attempting to reveal an in-depth character study with this film, so I will start from his life at an early age, and work towards how he ended up in Kansas City.

Loren was born to a poet mother and successful painter father, but he chose music and story telling as his first form of expression. Soon, Loren became a local fixture around the Fresno, California jazz scene, and earned an excellent reputation. He began to play his alto saxophone with such luminaries as Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson, and even opened for Miles Davis.

Living the classic bohemian life, he's lived in Amsterdam, Paris, Colorado, New York, and finally settled down in New Orleans for his longest stay of 18 years. Here he lived in the apartment that Tennessee William's wrote A Streetcar Named Desire and married his landlord. He continued to garner critical acclaim from the music rags like Down Beat and All Music as he played around town and painted constantly… Then Katrina came, washed away his home, and killed several of his neighbors.

He still looks pained to this day when he talks about that time. So, essentially, with no home and few possessions left, Loren and his wife, Sheila packed their bags and set out for California to live with a friend. Instead, on his journey to the coast, his car broke down in Kansas City, and without knowing anyone here, his wife and him moved their few possessions into a home, and have been here ever since. Loren pays the rent by playing clubs like The Golden Ox, The Blue Room, and Jardine's while his wife works at a hotel.

Since meeting him a few weeks ago I've been documenting a few shows, and was even invited down to his house in "the hood" (Troost Street in Kansas City.) Here, my film crew and I were invited in for a pot of ol' New Orleans Gumbo and corn on the cob. Afterwards Loren played us a few songs based on the flood, including a particularly moving 2007 version of Randy Newman's Louisiana 1927. After the meal, he showed us his impressive collection of art, which he had saved from the flood.

When he speaks, his deep gritty voice booms out of his throat and echoes around the walls. He smokes incessantly and drinks whisky straight up as he tells his many stories. Some include, his job working at a hotel with Tom Waits, playing the riverboats of the Mississippi, and going out on the road with his band.

Now he also teaches piano, and plays for old folks and children through a program that was set up by the government to help out of work New Orleans musicians find work. I find his humanitarian spirit and continuing interest in the world and people to be infectious. I now consider him a personal role model, which makes this project all the more enjoyable.

However, as I've discovered before, the hardest part of filmmaking is not starting the movie, but completing it. Wish me luck, and hopefully Ill get this damned thing done and out to festivals.

Until next time,

This has been Bart Vandever, good evening campers.