Despite the often noted connection between jazz’s structured improvisation and traditional longboarding, never has the relationship been quite so beautifully depicted than in this award winning short from director Toma Jablon, which after spending years playing at film festivals, has finally been dropped online.
“Step N’ Soul is a short film that explores the synergy between jazz, surfing, dance and improvisation by capturing a series of surfing performances choreographed and synchronised to Wynton Marsalis Sunflowers track.” explains Jablon, the films creator. “It features English pro surfer Sam Bleakley who uses an mp3 waterproof player and surfs his longboard while listening to Marsalis track. This is a unique approach to surf film making and surfing itself.” he continued.
The pair were seeking to incorporate the level of improvisation present in the jazz track into Bleakley’s wave riding, and more broadly than that, Jablon explained that “the goal was to explore the potential the music brings to our experience through action sport and life in general”.
