Cold Jazz

A saxophonist assembles her instrument while a woman eats oysters and removes tidal debris from her body in artist Jayne Parker's short film.

The first of many films by British artist Jayne Parker to feature musicians, this 16mm black and white short vividly illustrates Claude Debussy’s description of the saxophone as “that aquatic instrument” and marks a turning point in Parker’s work, which has come to be defined by a preoccupation with music and the body in film. Cold Jazz was first shown on television in 1993 as part of Channel 4’s Summer Shorts programme, spotlighting works from the broadcaster’s Independent Film and Video Department.