Mary Lou Williams: Zodiac Rediscovered

0000: A documentary traces the lost-and-found journey of Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite, revived decades later from original scores.

Some masterpieces don’t disappear because they lack brilliance, sometimes they vanish simply because the world wasn’t ready to hear them. The Zodiac Suite is one of those rare works: a bold, genre-defying creation by Mary Lou Williams, the visionary jazz pianist, composer and arranger who dared to weave classical architecture into the pulse of jazz.

Composed in the mid-1940s, this singular score was only heard once in a version faithful to Williams’ orchestration: a unique 1945 concert at Town Hall in New York. Then, like a hidden constellation, it slipped out of sight, until decades later, when French conductor Pierre-Antoine Badaroux unearthed the original manuscripts during research at the Institute of Jazz at Rutgers University.

What follows is part musical investigation, part act of devotion. With the precision of an archivist and the imagination of an interpreter, Badaroux undertakes the task of restoring this overlooked treasure and bringing it back to life. Directed by Julie Ledru, this documentary tells the story of a resurrection: of a work reclaimed from silence, and of an artist whose legacy still challenges the boundaries of form.

Featuring the Umlaut Chamber Orchestra under Badaroux’s direction, alongside Cecilia Smith, the film is more than a portrait, it’s a reminder that history can be rewritten, note by note. Because sometimes, the future of music is hidden in the past, waiting for the right ears to listen again.

Production year 2024
Director Julie Ledru
Genre Live Show
Duration 01:03:00