DisneyPlus - Soul : Immediate boarding for the jazzy universe of New York City

By Mulder, 27 november 2020

In the early days, when Pete Docter and the Pixar animation studio teams were developing Soul, they weren't yet sure what Joe was going to do with such passion. He had to be a scientist, a businessman... It was the video of an online Master class by jazz legend Herbie Hancock that finally allowed them to find out what would animate their main character: it would be jazz! And that's how music became an integral part of SOUL's story, and how New York City became the city in which the realistic part of the story had to take place. As the jazz capital of the United States, New York, a bustling, recognizable city and cultural crossroads with a diverse population from all walks of life, nourished by influences from around the world, was the perfect location for the film.

The filmmakers, anxious to portray this much-loved musical genre in an authentic way, called upon professionals from the world of jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Daveed Diggs, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and Terri Lyne Carrington, American jazz drummer, composer, producer and teacher. Carrington recalls: "The script was already so rich and so right when I joined them... I really wanted the film to reflect the joy of the music, the joy of the musicians. Pain and struggle are often associated with blues, jazz and even modern black music, so it was so nice to see that their perspective on the subject really paid tribute to its joyful dimension. »

And it is to Jon Batiste, a remarkable world-renowned artist, singer, composer, author, conductor and Grammy-nominated jazz genius, that the original jazz compositions for the film were entrusted. But not that ... When you see Joe's hands on the piano in the film it's a bit like Jon playing. Pixar's animators studied filmed images of him at the piano to reproduce every detail of his playing, from the way his fingers move to his breathing.

Director Pete Docter says, "I grew up with the Peanuts' cartoons and the music of Vince Guaraldi. It's like it flows through my veins. SOUL's music is kind of our version of it. Jon Batiste is a fantastic musician - he's a historian, but he's able to push the music further, into the future, bringing the richness of multiple influences to his compositions. I sincerely hope that the jazz music in SOUL will inspire a whole new generation. »

Jon Batiste says he wrote the music in this spirit. "The compositions are nourished by much of what has been generated by more than a century of jazz, which gives the listener many points of reference. It's a subtle way of paying tribute to the music while introducing a whole new audience to the genre. »

Jon Batiste has been the musical director of a multi-generational group of musicians spanning four generations and including living legends such as 95-year-old drummer Roy Haynes, who played with Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong, among others, as well as some of today's hottest young musicians. He says, "Putting the band together like this was important to me because it gives the sessions a special flavor, a richness born of his lineage and a mythical depth. It's a kind of passing of the torch. »
Co-director Kemp Powers found this "old-fashioned" approach attractive. "Some may consider jazz to be an ancient art form. What I like about Jon Batiste's attitude is that when you talk to him about jazz, he says it's the newest of the musical genres. You literally create jazz by playing it, and there's nothing newer than that! »

Jon Batiste felt naturally close to the main character. "Being a human being who is intrinsically musical, I am constantly listening and analyzing my environment from a musical perspective, even when I am not playing. Joe has that quality too. He will eventually learn that there is more to life than music. It speaks to me: I remember how important it was for me to understand that when I was a young musician. It made a big impression on me and influenced me a lot. The music we play is the music of life, and we must know how to savor life so that it can flow from our instruments. »

Passionate about jazz and music teacher in a college, Joe Gardner finally has the opportunity to realize his dream: to play in the best jazz club in New York. But an unfortunate misstep precipitates him into the "Big Front" - a fantastic place where new souls acquire their personality, character and specificity before being sent to Earth. Determined to get his life back, Joe teams up with 22, a mischievous and witty soul who has never grasped the value of living a human life. Desperately trying to show 22 how great life is, Joe may well discover the answers to the most important questions about the meaning of life.

Synopsis :
Just when Joe thinks his dream is now within reach, an unfortunate step sends him to a fantastic place where he is forced to rethink the meaning of having a soul. It is there that he befriends 22, a soul who doesn't think life on Earth is as good as it seems?

Soul
Directed by Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
Produced by Dana Murray
Written by Pete Docter, Mike Jones, Kemp Powers, Tina Fey
With the voices of Jamie Foxx Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs and in French version of Omar Sy, Camille Cottin and Ramzy Bedia.
Music by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Production: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Distribution: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date: December 25, 2020 (Disney +)

Photos: Copyright The Walt Disney Company

(source: press release)