Sat, Sept 21, 1:45 pm: Say Amen Somebody, Digital Restoration

Say Amen Somebody, US 1983,
Sat, Sept 21, 2019, 1:45 pm
210 W 87th St, Chicago, IL
Please try to purchase tickets in advance
https://www.studiomoviegrill.com/ticketing/start/say-amen-somebody/chatham/2019/09/12/01/05/pm

Call me join us for a screening and lively discussion of the legacy of Gospel music in Chicago and how it has impacted global culture.

When it first came out in the early 1980s, Say Amen, Somebody was acclaimed as a celebration of Gospel singers and pioneers. Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times called it “one of the most joyful movies I’ve ever seen.”

The joy is still there — and the music is even more glorious than ever, thanks to great sound restoration by our friends at Audio Mechanics — but many of the artists who performed in the film are no longer with us. And in many ways, the world has gotten darker, sadder, and more divided.

But art can bridge many divides and Say Amen, Somebody brings audiences together to spend time with some of the most beautiful voices and people we have ever seen on film. Thomas A. Dorsey, Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, the Barrett Sisters, Zella Jackson Price, and the O’Neal Twins are not just great performers, they were — and are — inspiring faith leaders. When Delois Barrett Campbell and her sisters Rodessa and Billie sing “The Storm is Passing Over,” we can believe that it is. Say amen, somebody!

Attending Sept 21 Screening of SAY AMEN SOMEBODY gospel panel:

Cynthia Jones, vice chairman of Pilgrim Baptist Church’s board of trustees.
Pilgrim Baptist Church is credited as the birthplace of gospel music in the 1930s. Thomas A. Dorsey, the “Father of Gospel Music”, was the music director at Pilgrim Baptist for decades. Albertina Walker, Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Sallie Martin, James Cleveland, The Staples Singers, and The Edwin Hawkins Singers are among those who have sung at the church.

Famous members of the congregation include Bessie Coleman. The church also hosted the funeral service of boxer Jack Johnson in 1946, and was prominent in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered sermons at the church during the height of the movement.

Don Jackson is one of the country’s most successful television and media entrepreneurs. His Chicago-based, Central City Productions, has produced, marketed and syndicated television shows for nearly a half-century, with many of the shows becoming bedrock programming for African-American audiences.

Jackson is currently working on the launch of Stellar TV, a 24-hour seven day a week faith-based television entertainment network targeted to African American audiences that will premiere during the 2020 television broadcast season around the country.

He’s also developing the $37 million National Museum of Gospel Music honoring and chronicling the history of American gospel music, scheduled to open in September 2020.

Calvin James Bridges
Calvin James Bridges (born January 24, 1952) is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1988, with the release of, Renew My Spirit, by Word Records, and this was his breakthrough release upon the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.

Steve Ordower, Director & Producer:
Jubilee Showcase Archive, Son of Sid Ordower, producer and founder of
Jubilee Showcase.

Born in the crucible of the civil rights movement the gospel TV show, Jubilee Showcase, uniquely bridged the worlds of gospel, blues and R&B and was a precursor to modern soul music. Produced and hosted by a white Jewish political activist, Sid Ordower, this program was a singularly pioneering show in television history. For most of the artists who appeared on the program, it was their first time on television, helping launch many of their prolific careers. Jubilee Showcase was a literal “who’s who” of Gospel icons, including the likes of Mavis Staples and The Staples Singers, Albertina Walker and The Caravans, the Soul Stirrers, and Thomas A. Dorsey… Over 30 Grammy awards were handed out to artists from Jubilee Showcase over the years, and the show was awarded an Emmy for a, “pioneering project in television.”

Steve Ordower is a producer/director and award-winning editor of dramatic films, documentaries, broadcast programs, corporate videos, and live concerts. He is dedicated to educating people through film, television and music production, and is the founder of the Chicago-based film and video production company, Rhythm & Light.