A new feature film with a strong jazz narrative and music written by Stephen Bentley-Klein and New Thing legend Archie Shepp, is to screen at the Raindance film festival in London next month. Titus, directed by Charlie Cattrall, is the story of an African-American jazz legend Titus (Ron C. Jones) lost in London in the autumn of his years living in his patron Marina (Ann Mitchell)’s suburban house. Titus is fighting to find a way back to the music that has kept him going all these years, his “musical voice” the sound of Archie Shepp on alto saxophone, Titus’ preferred instrument. Eric (played by jazz singer Ian Shaw) is the club owner who tries to encourage Titus to return to the stage. The film includes music recorded at the Vortex jazz club in east London featuring a band led by Jazz FM Award-winning alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey of Empirical, with Dice Factory’s Tom Challenger and George Fogel, bassist Ryan Trebilcock, and Sons of Kemet drummer Seb Rochford. SG