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New Orleans Jazz Heightens Steamy Movie on Lifetime

By Daniel Kassell
April 20, 2004
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'Infidelity' has brought back the best qualities of New Orleans Swing-Jazz as an emotional portrait of life

The New Orleans regional dialogue is just delightfully reminiscent of “In the Heat of the Night” in this new Lifetime movie based on Ann Pearlman’s book Infidelity. But that’s not why this flick caught my attention so I’ll ignore describing the steamy sex scenes and concentrate on the music because Helene Greece (EastWestMedia) sent me Basin Street Records CD Infidelity - Music from the Original TV Movie soundtrack.

Danielle (Kim Delaney - “NYPD Blue”, “C.S.I. Miami”) and Jim (Kyle Secor -“Homicide”) hear their favorite song “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home” sung by Lizzie Miles as the movie opens. And dance amicably they do.

At the fictitious St.James Club (actually the Maple Leaf Bar), Miguel (Christian De La Fuente) syncs trumpet with Los Hombres Calientes for Irvin Mayfield who is actually seen later performing his own “Cuban Suite” as Danielle sneaks away from husband Jim to meet Miguel.

Later at Bon Temps(Roule), an R&B joint, Henry Butler plays a mean boogie blues piano and sings “Casino” written and performed by his guitarist Vasti Jackson as Danielle again seeks infidelity.

The most powerful moods are created by Irvin Mayfield’s trumpet jazz audibly coordinated with the love scenes heightening the emotional impact. The music blends in with the emotion of the actors quite noticeably unless you turn off the sound and re-watch without it.

Not since a piano professor hidden behind a screen in a Storyville house of ill repute has New Orleans Jass been so effectively used. Infidelity has brought back the best qualities of New Orleans Swing-Jazz as an emotional portrait of life’s events.

During a preview interview Christian said he admires musicians who are happily married, but “being on tour, it’s hard, . . . Miguel has a lot of temptations, too.”

According to the Smithsonian, April is Jazz Appreciation Month, well Basin Street Records has added the icing on the cake by instilling this movie with real live on screen musicians: pianist-Henry Butler, trumpeter-Irvin Mayfield, percussionist-Bill summers, vocalist-Teresa Anderson and clarinetist-Michael White.

“Where did you find that? George Lewis”, Danielle asks Jim as he activates the stereo. It’s actually Michael White playing “The Loveliest Night of the Year” known as “Over The Waves”, a joyous Dixieland romp (from Basin Street Records - A Song for George Lewis) at the amicable at home conclusion and wonderful ending to a contemporary movie.

Watch the “sizzling” trailer if you miss the movie April 19 to May 1, 2004 at www.lifetimetv.com

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