One Night, One Movie, Two Scores

In the days before sound, musicians would play scores live in the theater. The 2007 Syracuse Film Festival attempted to take that concept one step further. Sherlock, Jr. got double treatment Friday night at the Palace Theatre when Combo Nuvo and The James Emery Trio played to the 1924 Buster Keaton film. On the surface, organizers wanted to showcase how a score can affect a movie. In reality, audience members heard two jazz trios playing some music while watching a film.

Sherlock, Jr., for those unfamiliar, tells the story of a young movie projectionist, who doesn't have enough money to buy chocolate for his girlfriend. He imagines himself into a detective movie that has a conveniently similar story. A madcap romp ensues with Keaton's incredible physicality and seemingly insane stunt work. Sherlock, Jr. works, at least the first time. The second time through guffaws turn into chuckles, and stunts seem tamer. But no film could really be funny enough that a back-to-back viewing would hold up exactly the same.

On the other hand, the jazz scores felt uninspired the first time through. Neither trio put in the time (why should they without a commission for their effort) to compose a score for the film. A combination of improvisation and cobbled together existing works substituted for what could amount to months of work on a typical film. Jazz's art might lie in improv, but it's hard to evoke a mood on the fly.

Jazz can work brilliantly when thought goes into the pieces. John Williams made use of it to great effect in both Catch me if You Can and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Combo Nuvo and The James Emery Trio turned in fine jazz performances, but don’t expect to see their work on the next DVD.

Sherlock, Jr. is currently available on DVD. For more information about Combo Nuvo, check out combonuvo.com .