Catch Marcus Belgrave documentary at DOC NYC premiere
The supplied announcement from Silk Strategy presents the world premiere of the documentary And Damn, He Could Play at DOC NYC in the Sonic Cinema section. The film offers an evocative portrait of unsung jazz legend Marcus Belgrave, whose contributions have extended well beyond the spotlight through decades of performance, recording, education, and mentorship.
Belgrave made his professional debut at age twelve and went on to perform and record with Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, and Motown's Funk Brothers. Mentored by Clifford Brown, he became a guiding force for later generations by championing Detroit's artistic community and participating in the Tribe arts collective. His influence appears in the work of jazz artists including Geri Allen, Kenny Garrett, James Carter, Regina Carter, Theo Croker, and Endea Owens. The legacy continues through the musicians he inspired, the Detroit scene he helped shape, and music that still swings and soars across generations.
The project is a documentary feature running ninety-one minutes that was completed in the United States in 2026.
Timashion Jones directed the film. Wendell Pierce provides narration. Brad Torreano and Timashion Jones wrote the screenplay. Brad Torreano produced, Don Hicks served as executive producer, Jeremy Brockman was director of photography, and Scott Allen and Timashion Jones edited the picture.
Featured participants delivering archival performances and interviews include Wynton Marsalis, Don Was, Terence Blanchard, Sheila Jordan, Carl Craig, Theo Croker, Joan Belgrave, Bert Daring, Bill Meyer, Charlie Gabriel, Chris Collins, Christopher Smith, Daphne Nitiri, David Ritz, Duke Fakir, Dwight Adams, Endea Owens, Eudora Muhammad, Gayelynn McKinney, Herb Boyd, James Carter, Kasan Belgrave, Karriem Riggins, Mable John, Marion Hayden, Nicholas Peyton, Paul Riser, Ray Parker Jr., Regina Carter, Robert Hurst, Terence Blanchard, Tonya Hood, Wendell Harrison, and additional contributors.
The world premiere screening occurs Friday, November 13 at 7:00 PM at Village East by Angelika and will be followed by a Q&A session with director Timashion Jones and producer Brad Torreano. A second public in-person screening takes place Saturday, November 14 at 1:00 PM at the same venue, accompanied by a Q&A with director Timashion Jones and associate producer Joan Belgrave.
Virtual screenings run from November 15 through November 29 and are accessible through the DOC NYC website.
Director Timashion Jones, also known as The Visionaire, is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker from Detroit who has directed or produced more than eighteen films and documentaries, working primarily in independent film. Earlier projects include A Mirror of Deception and Cody High: A Life Remodeled Project, which together earned three Regional Emmy Awards. Recent directing credits encompass the sixty-eight-episode vertical micro-drama series The Confession Booth created for the Muvpix platform, the faith-based film Walk By Faith, the legal drama Conflict of Interest, and Ride 4 Equity, a documentary that followed Black Leaders Detroit on a sixteen-hundred-mile bike ride from Black Wall Street in Tulsa to Wall Street in New York City. Jones also teaches filmmaking and has worked on sets with several of his students. Alongside twelve other filmmakers he helped launch The Collective Studios, a twelve-thousand-square-foot production facility containing more than twenty standing sets designed to increase access to professional resources for local creators.
Executive producer Don Hicks and associate producer Joan Belgrave round out key production roles, with the latter participating in one of the scheduled post-screening discussions.
Filmmakers are available for interviews and screeners can be requested for select advance coverage. High-resolution images and additional press materials are supplied through the announcement. All press inquiries should be directed to Marija Silk or Diana Drumm at Silk Strategy.
