A Tuba to Cuba

I am from Louisiana, half of my family is from New Orleans, and I am a music buff so I do know a lot of the history of New Orleans music. However, there seems to be no end to the depth of New Orleans music history as I keep learning more. This film proved that. If you have any interest at all in New Orleans, jazz music, international music, or all of the above, you will love this film. Even if you just have an interest in documentaries, I feel that this one is very powerful. It will keep you entertained with colorful, New Orleans and Cuban cultural visuals as it tells its story about family roots/history, the famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the bond of music.

A Tuba to Cuba has a double timeline. Covering the band's visit to Cuba to engage with their Cuban counterparts, the film also goes backward in time to tell the story of Preservation Hall's birth in the early 60s in a New Orleans that had little interest in the jazz legends that still lived there but had no place to play or make a living. It's an important story, not only about music but about race in America.

So, engaging with both past and present seems part and parcel in what the film records: the band's embracing a future that for the first time includes original music, music that in character is as traditional as the music that they are known for, deeply rooted in New Orleans syncopated rhythms and forms, but is also informed by Cuban rhythms and forms. They came back from their trips to Cuba and, to the surprise of many here in New Orleans, announced that they had learned something *new* about rhythm--not something masters of the New Orleans tradition would say lightly. The evidence of this learning experience is recorded in the film and in the albums which emerged from their visits to Cuba: So it Is! and That's It! Great film, great albums. Great windows into both New Orleans and Cuba and their considerable music achievements.

A Tuba for Cuba was extremely warmly-received in its world premiere at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It is well-made and charming music documentary about New Orleans's Preservation Hall Jazz Band's tour of Cuba. It is beautifully-edited with sweetness and joy. The most intriguing part of the film is the connection that film makers and the musicians are trying to draw between the New Orleans Jazz traditions and the Afro-Cuban traditions. Without directly addressing the political issues, they are trying to breakdown the walls that have separated American and Cuba for 2 generations. I'm not particularly a fan of music documentaries which I often find a bit slow and directionless. I think this one had some of the same flaws although it is better than most of the ones I've seen. It may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you love music documentaries and particularly if you love jazz, I would recommend it.

Very rarely have I seen a film that moves me like this one. It gives you hope for humanity and focus on what connects us, Music! This doc is beautiful shot and edited with extreme craftsmanship! A beautiful love letter to New Orleans Jazz, I would see it on the big screen if you have the chance!

If you liked the Foo Fighters "Sonic Highways" series on HBO a few years back, then you'll really enjoy "A Tuba To Cuba!" In the ways the Foo Fighters explored their sound and drew inspiration from their experiences in the cities they visited, A "Tuba to Cuba" is The Preservation Hall Jazz Band's version on steroids.

Beautifully shot in New Orleans and across Cuba, the film provides us a deeper understanding of how music really connects us all. It also gives you an appreciation for The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and their historical significance to the world of music.

The characters, sights, and sounds in "A Tuba to Cuba" make this documentary film and journey worth taking.