THE SAVOY KING: CHICK WEBB & THE MUSIC THAT CHANGED AMERICA (2012)

A documentary on drummer/bandleader Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald, and Harlem's Savoy Ballroom.

Official Selection - The 50th New York Film Festival

“In The Savoy King, Richard Gale, son of Savoy Ballroom owner Moe Gale, says, ‘So much of the evolution of jazz is like a relay race in which the baton gets passed from one generation to the next.’ Life can be like that, as well - as you can see in the way I connected to Chick Webb, and to New Heritage Films.” ~ Jeff Kaufman

WRITER-DIRECTOR JEFF KAUFMAN ON THE MAKING OF “THE SAVOY KING” IN HARLEM

I first considered doing a documentary on Chick when I read about the Benny Goodman - Chick Webb Battle of the Bands, which took place at The Savoy Ballroom on May 11, 1937. I tried to find out more about Chick, but there was little information available beyond the fact that he was a hunchback dwarf with spinal tuberculosis who discovered Ella Fitzgerald and recorded "A Tisket, A Tasket." However, something about Chick's underdog determination kept pushing me forward. As one can see in The Savoy King, there is much more to his story.

For the film, I thought it was important to have a partner in Harlem, with a strong sense of the community's history and culture. I contacted a number of people to discuss the project, including the President of the Harlem Chamber of Commerce, Lloyd Williams. Mr. Williams suggested I speak to Voza Rivers. I remember he said something like, "There's no one like Voza." He was right. Voza is one of the hardest working, most inspiring individuals I've ever met. His influence, in collaboration with Jamal Joseph and other good people, flows through the New Heritage Theatre Group, the IMPACT Repertory Theatre, the Harlem Arts Alliance, the Harlem Jazz & Music Festival, and the Dwyer Cultural Center. It can also be seen in the countless lives lifted by those programs - including my own. I called Voza back in September 2005 to tell him about a then vague plan to make this film. Undeterred by the odds against us, he offered his help, in numerous ways. Seven years later, here we are. The Savoy King wouldn't exist without the incredible support of Voza, Jamal, Lainie Cooke, Jasmin and Janelle Heatley, and everyone else at the New Heritage Theatre Group.

Dr. Muriel Petioni (who I met through Voza's introduction) said in The Savoy King, "In spite of ourselves I think music is the thing that really binds us. Music is a universal combiner." I'd say the same about Voza and his countless enterprises. He is "a universal combiner," - and a great colleague and friend.

~ Jeff Kaufman