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Prolific Live Film-Scoring Duo Shaolin Jazz Brings Unique Multimedia Experience to Wilmington

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

ShaolinWilmington, NC – The North Carolina Black Film Festival, Speller Street Films, and Black Kung Fu Cinema presents CAN I KICK IT?, an innovative film experience by Shaolin Jazz that caters to the lovers of martial arts flicks, music, and everything else in between.

On Saturday, October 15th they will screen one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made, Enter the Dragon starring the one and only Bruce Lee. Lee plays a martial-arts expert determined to help capture the narcotics dealer whose gang was responsible for the death of his sister. He enters a Kung Fu competition in an attempt to fight his way to the dealer’s headquarters with the help of some friends.

At the event, the film will be scored live (scene-by-scene) by Shaolin Jazz co-founder DJ 2-Tone Jones who mixes elements of Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, Rock, and more. 2-Tone also uses an array of techniques and sound bites to accentuate different moments in the film ranging from aggressive fight scenes to subtle love scenes.

Left to Right: DJ 2-Tone Jones + Gerald Watson, Shaolin Jazz. (Photo: Andrew J. Williams III)

DJ 2-Tone Jones, says “This isn’t just playing a DJ set during a movie. We incorporate the music with the movie so you can still follow the plot and hear the dialogue. You might have one scene using a song with lyrics and another using instrumental beds underneath. It’s weaving music over and under the film audio, just scoring the film, scene by scene.”

The event will take place at Jengo’s Playhouse (815 Princess St.) on Saturday, October 15th. Hometown favorite DJ Bigg B of Coast 97.3FM will kick things off from 5:00 PM to 5:50 PM with a special DJ set. At 5:50 PM, they’ll have a karate demonstration by local martial artist Sensei David Ward of the Seiran Dojo. The film (with a live music soundtrack by Shaolin Jazz) will begin at 6:00 PM.

Tickets are $10 on Eventbrite and at the door on the day of the event if tickets are still available. Local food truck, On Thyme Catering, will be on-site from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM with Afro-Asian-inspired cuisine. Jengo’s Playhouse bar and concessions will also be open. The film is rated R and may contain content not suitable for young audiences.

This event is sponsored by Dawson Med, nCino, and Cucalorus Film Festival.