Bring FRANK'S SONG to the world
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FRANK'S SONG
https://www.facebook.com/frankssong?ref=hl
When I moved to SE 37th Ave in 2009 I didn't know Frank Wesley. I had just arrived from NYC and across the street was an old-timer playing solo saxophone to the neighborhood. It wasn't what I expected. It was very urban and reminded me of NY not Portland, Oregon! Yet, it was one of my favorite things about this new city- the jazz, the expression, the connection to friends and strangers by way of soft, elegant sounds of a horn floating in the evening air. I introduced myself. We talked about jazz. Frank told me he didn't like things that were 'schmaltzy' and that included his tastes in music. He told me he preferred the more modern jazz songs, those from the late 1930's and 1940's when great lyricists like Johnny Mercer and composers like Duke Ellington transformed the scope and meaning of american music. I had heard Frank was a survivor of the Holocaust. It is a subject that is a part of me, and my curiosity was keen, but I refrained from asking him about it. I didn't want to impose. What if he told me a story that dragged me down all at once? It was enough to be making a new friend, I decided. Frank and I recorded some of the jazz songs we were talking about. It was fun! We recorded a few more times. Then, one day after putting his saxophone aside, Frank just started to tell me about his childhood, how it all collided with the horror of the Nazis, and how he was put in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1938. I was enthralled and I knew we had found a deep point of connection. Frank trusted me beyond the laughs, he felt comfortable. We began making FRANK'S SONG in earnest. The filming process spanned 4 years. Frank led the way each time we met. Telling a good yarn is not something he struggles with and Frank, like jazz music, just began improvising. We were on a ride now- a journey through Frank's memories and time, with jazz music providing the vessel, and Frank Wesley at the helm. An unconventional approach to filming was required. Frank's stories and musical interludes are non-linear. The camera would just have to roll continuously when we were together. For years we did this, and it was a lot of footage. In the future I will release parts of this material that does not appear in FRANK'S SONG. After editing the rough cut of the film Frank and I sat down together around my laptop one day and watched. We held hands at moments. He was smiling. He kept pointing at the screen saying 'That's true!". Now that we had a story and a movie with Frank's approval I knew the next step would be a different kind of challenge. The jazz compositions that Frank plays and remembers in the film need to be licensed in order to screen the film at festivals and educational venues. I plan to show FRANK'S SONG to a wide variety of audiences because I feel that Frank's story of resilience and positivity must be shared broadly. Knowing Frank, and knowing about him can be transformative. This is what brings me to you today. We are asking you, our community, for donations so that we can license the music, pay a handful of other expenses, and share Frank's inspiration with people all over the country . Please watch our video, visit our facebook page where videos and updates are posted regularly. Visit our new website in September, and consider donating to FRANK'S SONG at any level. Thank you for your support.
https://www.facebook.com/frankssong?ref=hl
When I moved to SE 37th Ave in 2009 I didn't know Frank Wesley. I had just arrived from NYC and across the street was an old-timer playing solo saxophone to the neighborhood. It wasn't what I expected. It was very urban and reminded me of NY not Portland, Oregon! Yet, it was one of my favorite things about this new city- the jazz, the expression, the connection to friends and strangers by way of soft, elegant sounds of a horn floating in the evening air. I introduced myself. We talked about jazz. Frank told me he didn't like things that were 'schmaltzy' and that included his tastes in music. He told me he preferred the more modern jazz songs, those from the late 1930's and 1940's when great lyricists like Johnny Mercer and composers like Duke Ellington transformed the scope and meaning of american music. I had heard Frank was a survivor of the Holocaust. It is a subject that is a part of me, and my curiosity was keen, but I refrained from asking him about it. I didn't want to impose. What if he told me a story that dragged me down all at once? It was enough to be making a new friend, I decided. Frank and I recorded some of the jazz songs we were talking about. It was fun! We recorded a few more times. Then, one day after putting his saxophone aside, Frank just started to tell me about his childhood, how it all collided with the horror of the Nazis, and how he was put in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1938. I was enthralled and I knew we had found a deep point of connection. Frank trusted me beyond the laughs, he felt comfortable. We began making FRANK'S SONG in earnest. The filming process spanned 4 years. Frank led the way each time we met. Telling a good yarn is not something he struggles with and Frank, like jazz music, just began improvising. We were on a ride now- a journey through Frank's memories and time, with jazz music providing the vessel, and Frank Wesley at the helm. An unconventional approach to filming was required. Frank's stories and musical interludes are non-linear. The camera would just have to roll continuously when we were together. For years we did this, and it was a lot of footage. In the future I will release parts of this material that does not appear in FRANK'S SONG. After editing the rough cut of the film Frank and I sat down together around my laptop one day and watched. We held hands at moments. He was smiling. He kept pointing at the screen saying 'That's true!". Now that we had a story and a movie with Frank's approval I knew the next step would be a different kind of challenge. The jazz compositions that Frank plays and remembers in the film need to be licensed in order to screen the film at festivals and educational venues. I plan to show FRANK'S SONG to a wide variety of audiences because I feel that Frank's story of resilience and positivity must be shared broadly. Knowing Frank, and knowing about him can be transformative. This is what brings me to you today. We are asking you, our community, for donations so that we can license the music, pay a handful of other expenses, and share Frank's inspiration with people all over the country . Please watch our video, visit our facebook page where videos and updates are posted regularly. Visit our new website in September, and consider donating to FRANK'S SONG at any level. Thank you for your support.
Organizer
David Bee
Organizer
Portland, OR