16/11/2023 16/11/2023

Carlos Santana: Discovering the Spirit of the Man.

In a career lasting over fifty years, Carlos Santana has reached the heights of brilliance as a musician, yet still remains thoroughly grounded as a man. In Carlos, director Rudy Valdez finds out how Santana has managed this seemingly impossible feat as he explores Carlos’s life, art, and spiritual journey. Rudy joins Matthew Sherwood to share what it was like making the film and working with a true rock legend.

24/08/2023 24/08/2023

Wayne Shorter: Visionary, Innovator, Icon and Human Being

Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity is an intimate portrait and cinematic ode to jazz giant Wayne Shorter’s life and music. Shorter has long been considered one of the greatest modern composers and musicians of American music, but it is his life that has inspired all who have known him. That includes Dorsay Alavi, who produced and directed Zero Gravity. Dorsay joins Matthew Sherwood to discuss how she turned her life-long friendship with Shorter into a docu-series that moves beyond typical music doc territory to capture the man who has touched so many lives with his humanity as well as his music.

29/06/2023 29/06/2023

Masterclass: Discussing Maestra with Maggie Contreras

In Maestra, Maggie Contreras follows a group of women from all over the world as they prepare for and take part in a women only competition to find the best musical conductor among them. All the competitors have had to make sacrifices for La Maestra, but only one will be able to claim the life-changing prize. Maggie joins Matthew Sherwood to discuss her film, the male-centric past of conducting, its physical nature, and the loneliness of preparing to lead an orchestra. She also highlights the diverse and surprising backgrounds of some of the competitors. Together, she and Matthew shed light on a new and exciting aspect of classical music.

01/06/2023 01/06/2023

Early 2000s New York: the Last Romantic Age of Rock’n’Roll

Experience the rise of iconic New York bands, such as The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs & LCD Soundsystem, and how 9/11 impacted their success. With archival footage and interviews with musicans themselves, meet them in the bathroom to explore their friendship-driven journeys.

11/05/2023 11/05/2023

32 Sounds: Exploring the Most Mysterious and Profound of the Senses

32 Sounds is both an exploration and meditation. In it, inspired by a conversation with composer Annea Lockwood, Sam Green goes on a journey that takes him from nature to film studios, the purring of cats to silence. Sound, he tells Matthew Sherwood, is mysterious and even ephemeral, but listening to it can be both intensely pleasurable and even ground you as a person. All the senses are wonderful. Sound, though, is a wonder. Listen, and find out why.

27/04/2023 27/04/2023

Jason Isbell: Portrait of the Musician as a Young Man

It’s 2019, and Jason Isbell is recording his latest album: Reunions. As he does so, he discusses his life and music with director, Sam Jones. The result is Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed, a documentary that explores Jason’s childhood trauma, his addictions, music, and marriage to fellow musician Amanda Shires, as well as the challenges of living through the Covid pandemic. Sam joins Matthew Sherwood to discuss the film, its star, and the importance of embracing the unexpected.

02/03/2023 02/03/2023

The Day Fatboy Slim Narrowly Avoided Disaster

In the summer of 2002, Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) decided to hold a free concert on the beach in Brighton, on the south coast of England. 50,000 people were expected to attend. By the time the iconic DJ took to the stage, however, 250,000 fans were waiting for him to begin. Using footage and photography from Cook’s own archive, and fans who were there, Right Here, Right Now tells the story of what happened on an unforgettable and never-to-be-repeated day in music and British history.

09/02/2023 09/02/2023

Moonage Daydream: David Bowie’s Impressionistic Life

Moonage Daydream is not just a film but a whole cinematic experience. It is a montage of memories conveyed through archival images and sounds that tell the story of David Bowie’s richly lived life. Working with the approval of Bowie’s estate, director Brett Morgen spent nearly seven years crafting, honing, and finally perfecting the film, which has been lauded across the world. It is a fitting tribute to one of music’s brightest stars.