“I promised,” said the writer for
Melody Maker magazine, “and
you don’t break a promise to
Keith Richards.”
For decades, Melody Maker
was arguably the most influen-
tial rock and roll magazine in the
world. But, it didn’t start out that
way. It began in 1926 primarily
as a trade magazine for jazz mu-
sicians. Its move into rock and
roll and how it helped define
music journalism and rock pho-
tography is detailed in Melody
Makers, a documentary by Leslie
Ann Coles that will be screened
at the New Jersey Film Festival.
According to the filmmaker, the
original idea was a documentary
about Barrie Wentzell, the pho-
tographer who helped change
rock and roll photography and
gave Melody Maker a unique
identity. Coles had met Wentzell
in 1996 in Toronto, about 7 years
after he had emigrated from Eng-
land to Canada. He would regale
Coles and others with the stories
behind his photos, which ulti-
mately inspired the documentary.
Watch the trailer for Melody Makers
NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 8
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