SCORE!

Lonnie Montaquila, who with Ben Mesiti writes our music (and much more), takes a break Tuesday, August 26, during recording (at the University of Rhode Island Theater Department "J" Studio, Fine Arts Center) of the The Joe Parillo Jazz Band. They played an original composition by Ben and Lonnie, and it sounds absolutely fantastic. The Joe Parillo Jazz Band: Joe Parillo, Piano/Arranger; Mike Greenfield, Saxophone/Clarinet; Dave Drapeau, Saxophone; Stephen Grueb, Saxophone/Clarinet; Alan Holland, Baritone Sax; Andrew Pacchiarotti, Trombone; Carl Querforth, Trombone; Audra Ratliff, Trumpet; Sue Curzio, Bass; Dan Hann, Drums. Thanks, folks!

-- Wayne

CLOSING IN

Labor Day weekend approaches, time for a quick update. Wednesday evening at Ben's studio, we recorded our major voice: narrator Yemi Sekoni, who wowed us back in March during auditions and did the same in the studio. Yemi has a wonderfully distinctive voice that we adore, and she is a class act work with. She put up well with Dave's, Ben's and my shenanigans, and at the end of almost 2 1/2 hours, we had a thing of beauty.

We did some last-minute shooting Thursday evening to fills some holes in the rough cut -- not so rough any more. The URI band on Tuesday recorded Lonnie and Ben’s original bid-band composition, and it's outstanding. Once we lay Yemi's voice in, they can get to work on the rest of the sound.

With more editing last week and more scheduled for next, we'll soon have picture lock. This is all very exciting, watching almost 11 months of hard work by so many people finally coming together. The emotions seen in the trailer are only amplified here, and the story line remains strong. Cross your fingers, we think we have something here...

-- Wayne

Songs, a video, expert and more...

We are deep into editing now, and our focus is on bringing this home. We have some voice and sound recordings ahead of us and some last-minute photography. In other words, we're busy, and so we will probably stop blogging for a while. For now, past blogs will have to suffice -- so check it out, some good music, a video of Dave and Harry editing, and more at the OTL blog.

-- Wayne

TB Blues

One of America's great country singers, Jimmie Rodgers, died of complications from TB. We have his music in OTL. Here's a link to a YouTube tribute to him, singing a signature song.

NOTED TB EXPERT JOINS OUTREACH PROGRAM

As Eagle Peak Media moves forward with plans to help raise awareness of tuberculosis today, we are pleased to announce that leading TB expert Dr. E. Jane Carter, senior consultant for the RISE tuberculosis Clinic at Providence's Miriam Hospital and assistant professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, has agreed to join our efforts. Before heading off to Kenya last week, where she is engaged in the global battle against the disease, we met with Dr. Carter and found her to be not only knowledgeable (we expected that) but also excited about the TB cause and the role OTL will play through its TB Awareness Days program, which begins this fall at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and continues into next year. The program is still being refined, but Dr. Carter will bring great authority to it. So, welcome, Dr. Carter… and a safe trip to and from Kenya.

The RISE clinic, sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Health, is the state’s TB treatment center, recording some 8,500 patient visits every year –– most by people who carry the TB bacterium, but have not developed the disease. But the clinic does treat active cases –– including a man who is in the movie.

Wayne