The REACH Opening Festival at the Kennedy Center

“A gathering and a series of pieces shot through the prism of my Chicago collaborators, shedding light on our flaws and our virtues.” – Jason Moran

This short-form documentary follows the development and culmination of “Looks of a Lot,” a collaborative multimedia work by Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran. Commissioned by the Chicago Symphony in 2014, “Looks of a Lot” reflects upon the gun violence that scars, and often ends, young people’s lives on the South Side of Chicago. Collaborators with Moran include the Bandwagon (featuring drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Tarus Mateen), visual artist Theaster Gates, reedist Ken Vandermark, Kennedy Center's Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead graduate Katie Ernst, and Chicago’s Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Band. The screening also includes a showing of "Staged," a seven-minute short featuring Jason Moran.