“Reminiscing in Tempo” is part of a continuing effort to provide Jerry Jazz Musician readers with unique forms of “edu-tainment.” As often as possible, Jerry Jazz Musician poses one question via e mail to a small number of prominent and diverse people. The question is designed to provoke a lively response that will potentially include the memories and/or opinion of those solicited.
Since it is not possible to know who will answer the question, the diversity of the participants will often depend on factors beyond the control of the publisher. The responses from the people who chose to participate in this edition are published below with only minor stylistic editing. No follow-up questions take place.
Readers are welcome to contribute by answering within the “Comment on this article” field found at the bottom of this page.
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What was the first motion picture you saw (in a theater) without your parents, and what do you recall about the experience?
Originally published in September, 2013
Pete Escovido
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Latin music percussionist; Concord Jazz recording artist; a major player in Latin music since the late 1960’s; played with Carlos Santana and founded the band Azteca; has also played with, among others, Herbie Hancock, Woody Herman, Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, Billy Cobham, and Arturo Sandoval
This is a very hard question to answer as it was so long ago that I can’t recall the very first movie. But I do remember the Buck Rogers short films that showed in between.
Also, The movies used to feature live acts between films. I saw Sammy Davis Jr. with His Dad & Uncle and The Count Basie Orchestra.
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Matthew Shipp
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Pianist whose musical style incorporates free jazz and modern classical music; Thirsty Ear recording artist; has appeared on dozens of albums as a leader, sideman or producer; has performed with David Ware, William Parker, Roscoe Mitchell, Joe Morris among many others
”Wow,the first motion picture I saw in a theater without my parents.
Well that is a hazy memory but I think I would have been 17 and it would
have been connected to my first car. Going to the movies was never a big ,big
part of my life — well it was in college when hanging out with friends who
where philosophy majors, and or
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It must have been… “The Empire Strikes Back” in Pittsburgh with Tony Campbell. It was enjoyable, the first movie I saw out of the original trilogy.
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The first movie I went to see by myself was “King Kong Escapes” at the Culver Theater in Culver City CA. I was 12 and rode my bike with my buddy Dore.
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Although I probably saw some movies at Saturday matinees before this, the one I very much remember seeing on my own was THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955). I remember because my parents did not want me to see this movie, but I nonetheless went to see it with a friend when I was still in elementary school. The notoriety of the movie intrigued us, and I guess it was shocking for its time, but the main thing I remember was all the hoopla surrounding the movie. I found it quite gripping, though I don’t think I was disturbed by the violence. After all, by contemporary standards, it is quite mild! I do remember “Rock Around the Clock” played over the opening titles because we really hadn’t heard rock music in movies at that time.
