Northwest Film Forum

Innovative jazz composer, arranger, and musician Don Ellis continually ventured into new musical horizons. Often to the detriment of his career, Ellis experimented with unusual time signatures, electronics, and elements of rock, classical and world music. Even his instrument, a custom designed quarter–tone trumpet was a musical innovation. But despite his stellar Columbia recordings with legendary producer John Hammond, his “Tears Of Joy” band sharing the stage with rock groups such as The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company, and his Grammy award winning score for the film The French Connection, Ellis remains largely forgotten today. Electric Heart re–discovers his music and story with rare performance footage unseen for 40 years and interviews with such musical giants as the late bandleader Maynard Ferguson, Pulitzer–winning composer Gunther Schuller, and pianist Milcho Leviev.