August 18, 2022

By Dr. Valerie Wardlaw

Contributing Writer

 

The Black Movie Soundtrack 4th edition returns to the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, August 24, at 8 pm. Producer Reginald Hudlin (director extraordinaire of House Party and Boomerang fame) and Grammy-winning music director Marcus Miller (one of the most recorded and prolific collaborators in jazz) is bringing the magic again.   This year’s program will pay tribute to the impressive work of Academy award winner Sidney Poitier. 

The Black Movie Soundtrack IV stellar lineup will not disappoint. Babyface, BeBeWinans, Eric Benet, Jennifer Holiday, Kid ‘n Play, Lalah Hathaway, and Warren G will grace the stage. Comedian Craig Robinson returns as host, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by conductor Thomas Wilkins returns – adding richness to the musical history and stories of Black cinema.

The L.A. Watts Times set down with this dynamic duo - Hudlin and Miller - to get their vision for Black Music Soundtrack IV. Here is that conversation.

LAWT: Where would Black Movie Soundtrack rank if you had to list favorite things you’ve done in your life?

Reggie Hudlin:  It ranks way up there! I came up with the idea, approached the Hollywood Bowl (the Bowl), they embraced it, and we’ve been doing it ever since.

Marcus Miller:  I have played with Miles, Luther, Al Jarreau, and I don’t think I have ever gotten such an overwhelming response to a project I have been a part of. 

LAWT:  When you originally pitched the idea to the Bowl, did you believe audiences would love it?

Hudlin:  Yes… I did.   Some might say you can’t mix music from the ’60s, ’70s, or ’90s with today’s Hip-Hop, and I say you can. You’re going to see some movies you haven’t seen and hear some music you haven’t heard, and you’re going to have a good time.

LAWT:  What is your hope that the audience will experience this year?

Hudlin:  We just want people to walk away feeling loved…love of music…love of movies; we want them to be excited and nudging each other and saying I got to go home and dig that soundtrack out.

Miller:  The first show we did was hard to describe, and we had half the house, but now it’s a sold-out show, and we get to take the audience on an amazing historical journey through Black film and music.

LAWT:  Have you ever thought about taking Black Movie Soundtrack on the road?

Hudlin:  I was planning on that, and COVID came and spoiled the fun for everybody. But now it’s back in the works for other cities and countries, so stay tuned.

Miller:   After this performance, I think we will go back to planning how we can introduce other audiences to the show.

LAWT:  I’ve read Reggie, that you once described one of your relatives as “hood famous,” You have taken an event that could have just been “hood famous” and made it into an event that all cultures can enjoy. Was that a part of your initial thinking when you came up with the idea?

Hudlin:  Yes…I think that’s one of the happy by-products. It’s not just cultural but generational. For example, we are doing a tribute to Sidney Poitier this year. 

Some younger people may know the name but not his body of work.

LAWT:  That is fantastic!

Miller:  Reggie and I had been working on a documentary about Sidney Poitier; with Reggie directing and I wrote the music for it, and then Sidney passed, and that project became something we had to do. So, it was a no-brainer to include a tribute to Sidney during this year’s event.

We get to present the history in a beautiful way so that young people can see the whole story. That’s a responsibility that we take seriously. You need to know about Sidney Poitier and the Nicholas Brothers and their beautiful dancing. We also show how the story has evolved and where we are today, so we will continue that tradition this year.

Hudlin:  You know, very few people get to hear a live orchestra. And that’s why we always have a couple of purely orchestral numbers, and then you hear Marcus Miller and his fantastic band…there are just so many layers that people experience when they see the show that you don’t get anywhere else.

 

Miller:  And the LA Phil gets into it, and they look forward to it because it’s not only a new experience for some in the audience to hear them but also a new experience for the LA Phil because this audience is very vocal!

 

LAWT:  What has it been like for you to collaborate on this project?

 

Hudlin:  It’s just an absolute pleasure! Marcus and I have been working together for over 30 years. To work with a master musician like him is just a pleasure. 

Miller:  I met Reggie when he had just gotten out of film school, and he approached me about doing the music for a thesis that he had written in school.

That thesis was House Party, and I saw my buddy grow over the years and direct the Oscars, become the head of BET, direct Django Unchained, and to witness his journey and collaborate with him has been an honor.

LAWT:  I can imagine that your list of movies and scores that you love is getting longer and longer. Had the Bowl committed to doing this show for as many years as you want to do it?

Hudlin:  Well, it’s funny that you say that…because once everyone agreed to do it, I set down and made a list of songs and came up with 120 songs. I called the Bowl and said, “How many songs can I fit into the show?

They said at most maybe 14, and I said 14!  They said, “relax, Reggie,” so we are working our way through the list.

Miller:  Reggie and I sit down with the Bowl, and we go through the lists, and I’m sure the Bowl is rolling their eyes because we want to showcase all these songs.

 

This is truly a labor of love for us. 

For more information on Black Movie Soundtrack IV, visit www.hollywoodbowl.com.

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