TIFF Docs
I Called Him Morgan from documentarian Kaspar Collin manages to walk that fine line between true crime tale and music doc as it chronicles the life and rise in the jazz world of Lee Morgan whose life and career were cut short when he was shot in a bar by his common law wife Helen.
Collin deftly balances the jazz history and the importance of Lee Morgan on the scene as he played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey while giving weight to the true crime and truly tragic aspects of it all.
As electric archival footage that has rarely been seen engulfs us as an audience, Collin allows for Morgan to be in his element as his masterful horn playing simply fills up the speakers and washes over us. The passion for the music is a character in the film unto itself and when the music stops, we are unbelievably sad. We appreciate what we have and what we lost all in the same moments and it’s a testament to Collin as he weaves us through interviews new and old making sure that the music is always there.
In all walks of life there is genius talent whose time on this earth was cut short but I Called Him Morgan simply makes you feel like you were in the middle of it all. That’s why it all works so damn well, you don’t need to love jazz to appreciate this visceral experience.
David Voigt is a Toronto based writer with a problem and a passion for the moving image and all things cinema. Having moved from production to the critical side of the aisle for well over 15 years now at outlets like Examiner.com, Criticize This, Dork Shelf (Now That Shelf), and to.Night Newspaper.
He’s been all across the continent; serving on the FIPRESCI Jury at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, covering festivals out side of Toronto like Calgary Underground Film Festival, CUFF Docs, Slamdance, Fantasia, SXSW, DOC NYC, Santa Barbara Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival and many others
However, In the uncertain world of modern film journalism, David also knew that he needed to have a hand in writing and cementing his own contributions on the global film scene.
Having eclipsed the 10 year anniversary of his own outlet, In The Seats, where he’s been striving to support film (and TV) from all walks of life and his podcast “In The Seats With…” where after 5 & ½ years and over 750 episodes he’s talked with a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, behind the scenes artisans and so much more on the art of storytelling for the screen, which is spawning the launch of a new show in the Spring of 2026. “ITS: Soundtracks” will focus on the use of soundtrack and score in film which he believes is a combination that is the cinematic equivalent of Peanut Butter and Chocolate.
All this as well as hosting and moderating a variety of big screen events around the city, covering film in all its forms is just a way of life for him.
