"Manhattan Montage" won the New York Jazz Film Festival's "Top Music Video" award in Harlem on August 29, 2017. The award was accepted by Miriam Danar whose photography was featured in the film.
"With Deep Admiration" for Les McCann is mentioned in the credits. In February 1960, as a boy of 9, Director R. Christian Anderson's step-father Raymond D. Bowman took him to the United Western Recording Studios in Hollywood. They were there to attend a rehearsal by legendary jazz pianist Les McCann of his studio album "Les McCann Plays The Truth" for Pacific Jazz Records. Playing with McCann was bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Ron Jefferson. While there, Christian was invited by Mr. McCann to sit with him at the piano. McCann was the first of many jazz musicians he would meet but remains among the most memorable.
Director R. Christian Anderson has been a fan of the music of Pat Thomi since first hearing his album "Pyramids" on "Music Choice" in 2001. For over a decade he has written to the composer and finally was able to work with him on this project when he felt the work of prominent New York art photographer Miriam Danar was an ideal match for this particular Thomi composition.
The piece heard in the film is entitled "Shooting Stars" and was originally released on Pat Thomi's EP album "Nite Flyte" in 2009. The piece was re-mixed at Thomi's West Los Angeles studio and a new lead guitar solo was recorded especially for this film.
June 2017 - Was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Caribbean Film Festival and Market on Grand Bahama Island.