Sunday, February 22, 2015

RIP Bruce Sinofsky, Clark Terry

Bruce Sinofsky, the co-director of the Paradise Lost films - sorry, Lucinda Williams, but these are the docs you want to see about the West Memphis Three, not that West of Memphis thing - has died of diabetes. I can't really say much about his contributions to cinema, as opposed to Joe Berlinger, because I can't differentiate between their contributions to those films, and I've seen nothing Sinofsky did outside his work with Berlinger, but together they made some of the most striking documentaries in history, so that's something. And it's interesting to note that Sinofsky and Berlinger made a guest appearance in Devil's Knot, which I hadn't realized... maybe playing themselves? That's kind of cute, actually, though no reason to see the film.

Also, jazz trumpterer Clark Terry has just died, at age 94. I had a conversation about him just last month, when Tom Charity and I chatted about a then upcoming film at the Vancity Theatre, Keep On Keepin' On, which dealt with his life and work, including his mentorship of a young, blind pianist. He'd mentored both Miles Davis and Quincy Jones in his history, and when the film played, just last week, he was still alive (something that surprised me - I hadn't realized). Clark Terry died on February 21st. Check the man's discography here - he played with Mingus, Monk, Dizzy Gillespie...

I'm still sick, though the nature of the illness seems to be morphing a bit. I felt almost recovered yesterday in the early afternoon. Now I feel worse, in some ways - more nauseated, like I might vomit. Shitty days!

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