Please help us release the film for DVD/Download! Film is screening this weekend online at www.thegatheringjazzfilm.com
The Gathering: Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz is documentary film chronicling a multi-generational music project started in 2005 by Jesse Sharps, one of the great composers to come out of the progressive improvised music scene of Los Angeles and a seminal bandleader of Horace Tapscott's Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. It focuses on the Leimert Park district and progressive jazz scene of Los Angeles, covering the history of the music, and the tradition of elders guiding the young players. With live performances from concerts over the years, behind the scenes footage of the historic recording session that started the project off, and interviews and performances by local legends Azar Lawrence, Dwight Trible, Kamau Daáood, Phil Ranelin, and Roberto Miranda as well as rising stars Kamasi Washington, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and many others, the film covers a rich and evolving musical community. More info can be found at www.thegatheringjazzfilm.com
October 10th, 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the original session that inspired the film. We are using this date to begin the crowdfunding campaign to support production of both a digital release and 2-disc DVD release of the film that includes the feature length documentary film, paired with a live performance version of the complete songs from the 2005 recording session, and additional bonus features. Your donations will go towards the cost of producing the DVD, licensing fees for the composers of the music featured in the film, and for additional portions for filmmaker and producer Tom Paige, and the late Executive Producer Jesse Sharps (now going to his daughter Ashley following Jesse's passing in June 2025). Both Tom Paige and Jesse Sharps donated their time and work over the years, directing any proceeds towards paying the musicians involved and reinvesting in the project and film. Much of that work led to a collaborative project that focused on archiving and digitizing hundreds of compositions from the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and a 60th anniversary reunion recording session in 2022. Read more about this work at www.lacpapa.com
As of June 25th, 2025 Jesse Sharps completed his journey around the sun and joined the ancestors that have come before, bringing joy, wonderful music, and art to the world. At the time of his passing Jesse knew of the plans for the film's release this year and was delighted a couple of months earlier to find out about a concert to celebrate the anniversary at the Angel City Jazz Festival on October 10th, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. That concert became a tribute to Jesse Sharps where many original members of The Gathering performed. In conjunction with the 20th anniversary and tribute, the film screened at Kaos Networkz in Leimert Park and on www.justjazz.tv over that weekend.
Products
Donors of $10 will receive a digital album of The Gathering: Leimert Park - Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz. This is the original release from the recording session featured in the film recorded at CalArts in Valencia, CA on October 10th, 2005. It is a high quality .wav format that includes the full 11-page liner notes and can be previewed here: Leimert Park Album.
Donors of $30 or more will receive the film release as 2-disc DVD set or digital download featuring the documentary film The Gathering: Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz, a concert version with the full performances of the songs from the original recording session in 2005, and additional bonus features.
Donors of $50 or more will receive the film release as a 2-disc DVD set (featuring the documentary film The Gathering: Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz, a concert version of the original recording session in 2005, and additional bonus features) + CD album of The Gathering: Leimert Park - Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz session.
Highlights
See all activity16SCREEN ONLINE 10/24
SCREENING THIS WEEKEND at www.thegatheringjazzfilm.com from Friday 10/24 at noon Pacific to Sunday 10/26 midnight in honor of the 20th anniversary of the original recording session back on October 10th, 2005 that started The Gathering. Don't miss your chance to watch the film and see what you can own as a dual DVD set or download of this wonderful music and history.
Activity
Donors of $10 will receive a digital album of The Gathering: Leimert Park - Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz. This is the original release from the recording session featured in the film recorded at CalArts in Valencia, CA on October 10th, 2005. It is a high quality .wav format that includes the full 11-page liner notes and can be previewed here: Leimert Park Album.
Donors of $30 or more will receive the film release as 2-disc DVD set or digital download featuring the documentary film The Gathering: Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz, a concert version with the full performances of the songs from the original recording session in 2005, and additional bonus features.
Donors of $50 or more will receive the film release as a 2-disc DVD set (featuring the documentary film The Gathering: Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz, a concert version of the original recording session in 2005, and additional bonus features) + CD album of The Gathering: Leimert Park - Roots & Branches of Los Angeles Jazz session.
