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a30 people & arts
Friday 8 May 2020
Netflix drama 'The Eddy' explores jazz via multiracial Paris

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS daughter while looking at
Associated Press her new natural hairstyle.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — Then, he looks up at Paris.
Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis "You know, there's a whole
wandered along the Seine history of us in this place."
and felt free. Louis Arm- Multi-talented Jowee Omi-
strong sought refuge from cil, who plays saxophone
the Jim Crow American in The Eddy, said he's still
South at the Hôtel Alba pinching himself that he
Opéra. Dancer Josephine has the opportunity to por-
Baker wowed audiences tray a black jazz musician in
at the Folies Bergère before Paris — something many of
joining the French Resis- the greats before him nev-
tance during World War II. er got the chance to do.
For African American art- "It's amazing because, yes,
ists, Paris long existed as a Lee Morgan didn't get
haven allowing them to to do that, he didn't get
experience their humanity, a chance to play a role
despite the city's contra- where he's really playing.
dictions and racial tensions. Unbelievable," said Haitian-
A visit introduced possibili- Canadian Omicil, who is
ties and dilated dreams. making his acting debut.
"The Eddy," a new Netflix Havana-born bassist Da-
music drama series that This image released by Netflix shows Amandla Stenberg, left, and Andre Holland in a scene from mian Nueva Cortes also
premieres Friday, seeks to "The Eddy." Associated Press stars in his first acting role.
pay homage to those en- One episode focuses on his
counters while also grant- derworld to meddling mu- in 2008 about this mythical about a high school stu- character struggling with
ing nods to the French New sic promoters. Meanwhile, jazz club...Paris never gave dent who witnesses a po- heartbreak and addiction.
Wave film movement of ambitious Moroccan musi- up on jazz." lice shooting. It ends with an Afro-Cuban
the late 1950s, the refugee, cians seek Elliot's attention And that jazz club would "It was super important improvisation at a Paris res-
the abused, and, of course, by fusing French hip-hop show the real, new Paris, to me. I don't think that taurant that's both celebra-
jazz. Set in the margins of and Muslim traditions. Ballard said. aspect of the show was tory and agonizing.
Paris, the series follows Afri- The idea for the eight-ep- Directed by Damien Cha- necessarily based into the "I wrote that song for my
can American ex-pat Elliot isode series came from a zelle of "La La Land," the script," Stenberg said. "It grandmother," Nueva Cor-
Udo, played by André Hol- longtime dream of six-time series engages with the ri- kind of become a respon- tes said. "And acting...it's
land, as he tries to keep his Grammy Award winner gidity jazz faces from tradi- sibility that Andre and I felt like I'm in a trance."
jazz club, The Eddy, afloat Glen Ballard to tell a story tionalists and modernizing we needed to honor and American audiences are
while caring for his troubled about a jazz band making forces, just like the 2016 Os- accurately portray through accustomed to consum-
American biracial daugh- music in modern-day Paris. car-nominated film. But un- the lenses we were given." ing films and series around
ter Julie, played by Aman- He organized a group with like "La La Land," the Netflix But the series does seek race from their own self-ab-
dla Stenberg. working musicians that in- series doesn't seek to white- to pay tribute to African sorbed lenses. "The Eddy"
Elliot assembles a house cluded actress and vocalist wash those themes and American ex-pats who series seeks to take those
band of musicians from Joanna Kulig, from the 2018 it confronts issues of race helped pave the path for a viewers to Europe where
North Africa, Haiti, Cuba, acclaimed movie "Cold and poverty from where racially safe Paris. race and ethnicity also
the U.S, and Eastern Europe War," and Croatian percus- jazz stems. In one touching scene, El- play roles in how similar
and they regularly attract sionist Lada Obradovic. That complexity and the liot talks with his daughter populations navigate their
an equally diverse crowd "The mission for me was to themes around a multicul- after giving her a copy of existence.
away from the cafe and connect young listeners tural Paris is what attract- James Baldwin's essay col- Ballard said this gather-
museum center of Paris. and viewers to what jazz re- ed the politically active lection, The Price of the ing of different people in
But it seems like everyone ally could be," Ballard told Stenberg to the project, Ticket," of his works on race "The Eddy" is played out
and everything wants to the AP in an interview from she said. Stenberg earned and identity. through jazz, note by note,
shut down the experiment, his Paris apartment. "It start- praised for her role in the "There's plenty more where with spaces for solos of the
from the police to the un- ed with me writing songs 2018 film "The Hate U Give" that came from," he tells his unexplored.q

‘Let’s Make a Deal’ asks frontline staff

to join its special

By MARK KENNEDY workers to submit a video go a long way. Whether a
AP Entertainment Writer audition for an upcoming joke or a $50 Amazon gift
NEW YORK (AP) — Wayne special online edition of card, when the news is of-
Brady and the folks at "Let's the show. "The idea sprang tentimes bad, I wanted us
Make a Deal" want to hon- into my head because to be that bright spot in
or those fighting the coro- I wanted for us at 'Deal' their day." Several contes-
navirus — and they don't to not only bring smiles to tants on the "Let's Make a
have to wear their capes if our loyal Deal Family, but Deal: At Home" edition of
they don't want to. to give hope and some- the show have been front-
The CBS daytime game thing to look forward to," line workers, but the new
This image released by CBS Entertainment shows Wayne Brady, show that usually has a stu- Brady, the host, told The recruitment is intended to
host of the daytime game show "Let's Make a Deal." dio audience in zany cos- Associated Press. "In times help dedicate an entire
Associated Press tumes is asking front-line like this, a small token can show to them.q