Live at the Poster Museum

A NEW CONCERT FILM BY NELSON HUME

ABOUT

The Poster Museum sessions started as informal jams for a group of friends to maintain their chops during the pandemic. As New York City came back to life, the sessions became a neighborhood fixture and a musical beacon of hope.

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars. He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City.

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars. He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City.

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars. He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City.

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars. He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City.

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars. He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City.

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars. He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City.

MEET THE BAND

THE BACKSTORY

I’ve known Robby Ameen most of my life and have seen him play on big stages like Carnegie Hall and smaller clubs like the Blue Note. All that ended when the pandemic hit New York and we all became shut-ins. After the initial lock down eased, Robby let me know he was planning a jam session at the poster shop on his block with some friends and that I should stop by.

Philip Williams Poster Museum is a street level loft space in lower Manhattan. Every inch is jammed with amazing posters, small and large, but somehow Robby cleared enough space for musicians and a few spectators. We all wore masks, except the horn players, but it was live music in front of a socially starved audience - it was amazing. This jam session grew into a semi regular “residency” and though word got out and the audience swelled it always felt like the best kept secret in New York.

Robby’s band, all world class jazz musicians, have known each other for years, some since they were teens busking on the streets. Many lead their own bands and each have taken turns playing for the other.

As filmmakers, we often find footage loses its magic in the edit as repetitive viewing drains away all mystery. But for Vanessa Gould, (Editor/Producer), and myself, this footage continued to grow in complexity and depth. The more you watch, the more you hear the subtle communication between the instruments and appreciate the ferocious talent of these musicians. We hope you enjoy the music as much as we have.

– NELSON HUME, Director & Cinematographer

THE FILMMAKERS

NELSON HUME – DIRECTOR & CINEMATOGRAPHER

Nelson Hume graduated from NYU Graduate School of Film and TV receiving the WTC Johnson Fellowship Award. Shortly after, he directed the narrative feature film Sunburn, starring Cillian Murphy and produced by Jean Doumanian.

As cinematographer, he has enjoyed numerous collaborations with noted directors Kevin Macdonald, Amir Bar-lev, Kristi Jacobson, Sam Pollard, Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles, Ricki Stern, Jesse Sweet and Joshua Zeman.

His credits include Whitney, Long Strange Trip, Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison and Why We Hate produced by Alex Gibney and Steven Spielberg. Forthcoming projects include the Disney series, Harlem Skate and Check Point Zoo, a documentary about the daring rescue of zoo animals trapped by the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

VANESSA GOULD – PRODUCER & EDITOR

Vanessa Gould is a filmmaker based in New York. Her work as director includes OBIT (Kino Lorber, 2017), critically acclaimed by the LA Times, New York Times, TIME, The Nation, NPR, Vogue, BBC and Esquire; and, BETWEEN THE FOLDS (PBS, 2010) for which she received a Peabody Award. Additionally, her work in numerous capacities can be seen via film festivals, television, web and museums including Showtime, Netflix, Tribeca Film Festival, The New York Times, The Whitney Museum, Tiffany and PBS.

ADDITIONAL CREW

Camera Operators

1st Assistant Camera

Live Sound Recording

Final Mix

Mastering

DAN HERSEY, MILO HUME

ZACH TIDMORE

DAVID FIELDS

DAVID KOWALSKI in Hackensack, NJ

STEVE FALLONE at Sterling Sound, NYC

Filmed & recorded live on February 1, 2024 at Phillip Williams Posters, Tribeca, NYC

Post Finishing Services

Online Editor

Colorist

Technical Supervisor

DI Producer

Sound Design

Title Sequence

Special Thanks

FINAL FRAME

BEN KIVIAT

WILL COX

CRAIG PENNER

JESSICA HINDS

BILL CHESLEY

VANESSA GOULD

PHILLIP WILLIAMS POSTER MUSEUM
FINAL FRAME
CINEMA-VISION

ROBBY AMEEN LIVE! AT THE POSTER MUSEUM

available on ORIGIN Records