A Common Language

This month, the BBC is re-running the 1986 documentary, Bring On The Night, a chronicle of the preparation for Sting's first post Police concert in Paris. Most of the music is from Sting's 1985 solo recording, The Dream Of The Blue Turtles. The film documents the forming of Sting's jazz oriented band, which includes keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, Drummer/Percussionist Omar Hakim, bassist Darryl Jones saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and back up singers Janis Pendarvis, and Dolette Mc Donald.

Director Michael Apted, (Coal Miners Daughter/Gorillas In The Mist) combines the features of a documentary, travelogue, and live concert in this beautifully filmed showcase. Early in the film, Sting comments that The Police was really his first experience with a rock band. His roots are really in the areas of jazz and progressive rock, and thus his experimentation with forming a jazz band, is not such a huge departure for him. In his own words, in a press conference, he relates that the reason behind the concert is to express a common language through the combination of jazz and rock motifs in his music.

The film features some interesting commentary by various band members as Branford Marsalis discusses his association with jazz legend Art Blakey, and touring Europe once with a saxophone held together with rubber bands. Back up singer Dolette Mc Donald relates her experience as a telephone operator for a prostitute service, in which he had the task of telling the customers specifically what services they would receive. In a very conversational tone, Sting explains his reasons for leaving the teaching profession behind, because he knew exactly what to expect for the next 10 years, which robbed life of all of it's mystery. He also tells the story of the time he first realized he had made in in the music world, when he heard a window cleaner whistling Roxanne, at a hotel where the band was staying in Northern England.

One of the highlights of the documentary is the stunning photography of scenes from Paris and the surrounding countryside. Much of the filming was done on location in a stately castle where the rehearsals take place.

Some of the less appealing features of the documentary include the scenes in which Sting's Manager, Miles Copeland rears his obnoxious head, as he argues with various members of the band and stage crew over costumes and various other peripheral issues. Another experience that could just as easily been left on the editing floor, is the scenes from the live birth of Sting's son. While somewhat touching, especially when accompanied by the song, Russians ("I hope the Russians love their Children too") I personally feel that live child birth is a very private matter and not something that should necessarily be shared with the general public. A bit of comic relief occurs when the band joins in for a spirited impromptu chorus of The Flintstone's theme.

The true highlight of the film, however, is the music. While it's interesting to witness the creative process of the development of the concert, I kept waiting for the live concert scenes. I was not disappointed except in the fact that the footage was so limited. Out of the two hour film, only about 45 minutes was devoted to the live concert footage.

The live performances feature high energy, improvisational, arrangements of Sting's material from his first solo recording and hits from the The Police era. Each performance is infused with Marsalis' melodic, highly stylized saxophone accents, Kirkland's sparkling keyboards, and Hakim's precision drumming and percussion. I was blown away by the live performance of Children's Crusade, which features close- ups of Marsalis' intricate finger work and improvisational saxophone meanderings.

The subdued lighting adds to the improvisional and intimate feel of the music. The live version of Fortress Around Your Heart featured in concert is particularly scintillating with Marsalis' wailing saxophone lines and Hakim's steady backbeat. This number is followed by a slower tempo, ballad Shadows In The Rain, that features synthesized layers with an acoustic sound.

Although not all of the tracks included in the documentary are performed in full, below is a complete listing of the material included in the film:

Bring On The Night
When The World Is Running Down
Set Them Free
Low Life
Fortress Around Your Heart
Love Is the Seventh Wave
Shadows In the Rain
Consider Me Gone
Driven To Tears
We Work The Black Steam
I Burn For You
Children's Crusade
Need Your Love So Bad
Roxanne
Russians
Been Down So Long
Demolition Man
Message In A Bottle

While not as impressive as Sting's 2001 release ...All This Time, which also includes his envelope pushing musical experimentation, I found Bring On The Night to be a dynamic, well directed, and well edited presentation. It moves seamlessly in varying scenes from rehearsal, to live performance, and documentary. In it's own way, it is somewhat of a groundbreaking film that achieves it's original intent, which is to focus on the common language of music across various genres. It is an intriguing musical experience that captures the talent and creativity of Sting's lyrical genius, combined with a dream band of extraordinary jazz musicians.