coming fall 2025
Reggie Workman, a jazz legend, and NEA Jazz Master, stands at the crossroads of generations, addressing his youngest daughter Ayana’s questions.
Executive Producer
Wynton Marsalis
Producer
ZORA Productions
Producer
Sculptured Sounds
Producer and Talent
Reggie Workman
Producer and Talent
Ayana M. Workman
Director, Writer, Producer
Maya Milenovic
Co-Directors of Photography
Jake DeNicola
Hill Steadman
Editor
Bennet Torres
For donor and media inquires, please contact:
ZORA Productions, Ayana Workman
[email protected]
Producer and Director, Maya Milenovic
[email protected]
Critics have long debated whether or not there is a future for Jazz music.
Think pieces have been written, arguments made.
"Jazz clubs are closing!"
"The legends of the genre are dying!"
"What comes next?"
But listeners and musicians know: Jazz is not dead. Far from it. It’s ever-evolving and expanding. A musical life form, sometimes with a mind of its own.
So why are people reading its last rights?
Jazz is arguably the greatest gift that American culture has given the world. Within this offering, there’s an artist who is long overdue for an ovation. Someone who has seen the genre through its many iterations, witnessed the greatest musical talents, and is one of those talents himself.
Who is this legend?
Reggie Workman.
Those who know Jazz know his name but might not know his story. We’re here to change that.
Immortal: The Musical Crusade of Reggie Workman shares his extraordinary and enduring legacy, for the first time.
Throughout his career Reggie has seen countless iconic moments–touring with John Coltrane and appearing on “Live” at the Village Vanguard, igniting European audiences with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, performing with Alice Coltrane in her last concert and The Reggie Workman Ensemble. He’s been on stage with the greats, and he’s taught many too. He collaborates with Dance and Theater, which makes his sound even more unique. Reggie has stood at the intersection of music and culture, where stories of Jazz and American history converge.
Jazz is inextricably linked to African American history–Reggie often refers to it as “African American music” first (he only calls it Jazz when absolutely necessary). This is an unspoken truth; one musicians of all racial backgrounds acknowledge. Reggie is just one of the few people to say it out loud.
Not everyone is ready to take ownership of African American history as a fundamental part of American History. But it's as foundational as the music itself. Just as America was forming an identity, Jazz musicians were birthing an entirely unique sound, changing the landscape of music forever. From the cradle of its creation in America, this music has gone on to become a universal influence.
What happens when what we leave behind meets what lies ahead?
Reggie has played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between past and present, old guard and new, into the future of the genre. His students have gone on to win Grammys, become educators, and travel the world spreading the influence of the music to Europe, Asia and beyond.
The Musical Crusade of Reggie Workman
Immortal takes its audience on a vibrant and vital journey, composed of vignettes with significant voices, previously unseen footage, and historical investigation into his “Jazz philosophy” through which we discover Reggie’s sound. It feels like a piece of music itself, culminating in conversations with Reggie’s youngest daughter Ayana Workman while they create their first project together: “Pulling”.We also interview Jason Moran, Archie Shepp, Nasheet Waits, Robert Glasper, Aaron Goldberg, Oliver Lake, Andrew Cyrille, Don Moye, Ravi Coltrane, Lakecia Benjamin, Cornel West, and many others.
Premise
NYC, Philadelphia, World stages
Interviewed
Reggie Workman • Archie Shepp • Ravi Coltrane • Jason Moran • Famodou Don Moye • Nasheet Waits • Robert Glasper • James Francies • Lakechia Benjamin • Marilyn Crispell • Jason Hwang • Jen Shyu • Jessica Boykan • Aaron Goldberg • Cornel West • Zack Kirsimae • Tim Angulo • Hannah Inui • James Browne • Maya Milenovic • Nioka Workman • Ayana Workman
Producer
Reggie Workman • [email protected]
Producer
Ayana M. Workman • [email protected]
Producer, Director, Writer
Maya Milenovic • [email protected]
Director of Photography
Jake DeNicola • [email protected]
Editor
Bennet Torres • [email protected]
Associate Producer, Archival Footage
Zachary Kirsimae
Cinematographers
Jake DeNicola, Hil Steadman, Sarah Simone
In-kind Services
MaDLOM Student Volunteers
Mary Chang
Oliver, Dash, Revel
Jazz is alive and well. But its future depends on a deep understanding of the past. This lifeblood comes in the form of Reggies community of students, fans and collaborators. It’s up to us, those who believe in the enduring influence and legacy of this music to share the stories of the musicians who are responsible for its impact.This is what Reggie leaves behind, so that he may never be forgotten.
Now, we need your help. Together, we can make this important film a reality and celebrate the profound legacy of jazz music, and Reggies storied career. Your support will help us get this film over the finish line, completing our final interviews and the postproduction process by the end of this year.
Crowdfunding is a key element in our overall funding strategy. We believe strongly in the power of community, especially in the pursuit of an undertaking as essential as this project. Please contact us directly if you would like to make a private donation or if your company or foundation would like to support this project.
Your gift is tax-deductible.
We hope to screen Immortal at upcoming festivals, and eventually on streaming services to make this film available to the masses. The proceeds of the film will be allocated for the development of the Reggie Workman & Maya Milenovic Foundation, which will support young students of music and the performing arts.
MaDLOM & IMMORTAL MISSIONS:
MaDLOM is a multidisciplinary after-school “Arts Laboratory”, dedicated to the creative development of students ages 3-18 through movement, theater, drumming, storytelling, and film.
We strive for a developmentally appropriate and joyful process, with an emphasis on artistic literacy, creative expression, leadership, and self-confidence. Our students have become dancers, musicians, filmmakers, theater directors, actors, writers, and so much more.
At this time Reggie and Maya, co-founders of MaDLOM have united forces with a young team of producers, inematographers, media experts, and editors, in the creation of Immortal, the Musical Crusade of Reggie Workman, in which MaDLOM’s older students will get a chance to learn on set, in a “film creative room”, and get a chance to use this subject as their senior options or ideas for work in the future.
We can’t create this historical document without your help.
Donate today!
Send a check to:MaDLOM c/o 41 Watchung Plaza # 324
Montclair, NJ 07042