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Clip description
‘Dingo’ Anderson (Colin Friels) and Billy Cross (Miles Davis) visit a famous jazz club in Paris. Billy asks the bandleader, an old friend (Onzy Matthews), if his friend can sit in. ‘Dingo’ makes a big splash, but the place erupts when Billy comes out of retirement to join his friends on stage.
Curator’s notes
The sense of excitement is palpable in this scene, because of the clever way the film introduces Billy’s presence on stage. We see his muffled trumpet and hear his sound before we see the actor. At this point, he’s no longer Billy Cross, but Miles Davis, the legendary trumpeter whose sound is unmistakeable. Even though Colin Friels isn’t actually playing the notes in this scene, it sounds like a real concert performance, recorded live. It’s a thrilling finish to the film’s musical climax – the student has inspired the teacher to play again.
