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Pat Rizzo, a saxophonist who played with Sly & The Family Stone, War, Tito Puente and Frank Sinatra, died on Thursday. He was 79.

Rizzo, in 1970, was “recommended to replace a saxophonist in the groundbreaking funk band Sly & The Family Stone. Sly Stone called him into his bathroom and asked if he was any good. Rizzo said yeah and Sly gave him the job without hearing him play. One night, they went to a recording studio and Rizzo watched Sly jam with Jimi Hendrix. After that, they dreamed of fusing rock and funk with jazz. They started stretching funk in a new jazz direction.”

Read more at the Palm Springs Desert Sun.

Questlove’s documentary, Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), will arrive in theaters and on Hulu on July 2. It delves into the history of the Harlem Cultural Festival which took place in 1969 over the course of six weeks at Harlem’s Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The lineup for those shows included Sly & The Family Stone and the documentary features never-before-seen footage.

Summer of Soul had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in February. It was awarded both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary category.

Read more at Rolling Stone.

Related News:

• Questlove To Direct New Sly Stone Documentary – February 19, 2021
• Sly & The Family Stone Featured In ‘Summer Of Soul’ Documentary – January 29, 2021

#MyBlackIs History. ✊? A classic song gets a brand new look. Check out this new animated video for Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everyday People.”

Certified.lnk.to/EverydayPeople

AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON TO DIRECT SLY STONE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

MRC Non-Fiction Partners with Network Entertainment, Two One Five Entertainment, Stardust Films and ID8 Multimedia for a Documentary Film from “Summer of Soul” Director about Legendary Artist Sly Stone

MRC Non-Fiction today announced an “Untitled Sly Stone” project that follows the story of groundbreaking artist Sly Stone, founding member of Sly and the Family Stone. Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct with his Two One Five Entertainment along with producing partners Zarah Zohlman and Shawn Gee. Oscar®and Emmy® Award-winner Common will executive produce via Stardust Films with Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone executive producing via ID8 Multimedia. Network Entertainment’s Derik Murray and Brian Gersh will serve as producers.

The untitled documentary follows the story of the influential artist, king of funk, and fashion icon Sly Stone, a musician who was breaking all the rules at a time when doing so was extremely challenging, even dangerous. The pressure of explosive mainstream pop success and the responsibility of representing Black America forced him to walk the fine line of impossible expectations.

Said Questlove, “It goes beyond saying that Sly’s creative legacy is in my DNA….it’s a black musician’s blueprint….to be given the honor to explore his history and legacy is beyond a dream for me.” 

“Sly’s influence on popular music and culture as a whole is immeasurable, and what his career represents is a parable that transcends time and place,” said Amit Dey, Head of MRC Non-Fiction. “Questlove’s vision, sensitivity and reverence brings the urgency that Sly’s story and music deserve, and we’re excited to be working with him to bring Sly’s story to life.”   

Thompson’s “Summer of Soul (… Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” landed the 2021 Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award and secured a record-breaking distribution deal with Searchlight Pictures and Hulu. In addition, the accomplished musician and The New York Times bestselling author executive produced AMC’s acclaimed documentary series “Hip-Hop: The Songs That Shook America,” served as the executive music producer and composer on the A&E miniseries “Roots,” and co-produced the Grammy Award-winning “Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton.”

MRC Non-Fiction’s first feature length documentary “The Sparks Brothers,” Edgar Wright’s musical odyssey about the singular career of brothers Ron & Russell Mael, had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and received glowing reviews.

About MRC Non-Fiction
MRC Non-Fiction works with a diverse group of artists to develop, finance and produce feature documentaries and docuseries for global audiences who seek enduring and definitive storytelling. The slate includes: “The Sparks Brothers,” the critically acclaimed debut documentary from filmmaker Edgar Wright (“Baby Driver”), chronicling the 50-year career of influential American duo Sparks, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival; and “The Last Rider,” which tells the story of legendary cyclist Greg LeMond, from acclaimed director Alex Holmes. For more information, please visit www.mrcentertainment.com.

Sly & The Family Stone are featured at Amazon Music for Black History Month. Listen to their [RE]DISCOVER Playlist here! https://amzn.to/3aVHSSz

Legendary funk, rock and psychedelic records aside — in the ’60s they were the FIRST band with a lineup of men and women, racially integrated. The Bay area powerhouse laid the foundation for rock and funk bands for decades to come, bringing a uniquely vibrant energy during a time that truly needed it.

The new documentary Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), featuring rare live footage of Sly & The Family Stone, will be available at the virtual Sundance Film Festival at Sundance.org.

In 1969, during the same summer as Woodstock, a different music festival took place 100 miles away. More than 300,000 people attended the summer concert series known as the Harlem Cultural Festival. It was filmed, but after that summer, the footage sat in a basement for 50 years. It has never been seen. Until now.

Summer Of Soul is a stunning unearthed treasure destined to become a pillar of American music and African American history. In his striking debut as a filmmaker, the legendary musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents this transporting documentary—part concert film, part historical record—about an epic event that radiated the wholesale reevaluation of Black history, culture, fashion, and music.

Sly & The Family Stone’s best album, writer Gene Santoro of Music Aficionado argues, is also one of their most undersung. Here’s the incredible story of how Sly’s most underrated album came to be: MusicAficionado.com.

Wishing a truly funky birthday to Sly Stone!

This week marks the 50th anniversary of Stand! by Sly & The Family Stone. The group’s fourth album is undeniably one of their best, with unforgettable jams like “Everyday People,” “You Can Make It If You Try” and “Sing a Simple Song.” Which track is your favorite?

Listen now: https://legacyrecordings.lnk.to/SlyAndTheFamilyStoneStand

Thanks to Pandora for making this Sly & The Family Stone A-Z playlist!

Listen now: https://www.pandora.com/playlist/PL:1125899956955128:1731281313

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, gears up for Record Store Day with another stellar assortment of exclusive releases on vinyl and cassette, to be released Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a regular celebration of the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands of similar stores around the world. This year, Pearl Jam has been named as Record Store Day’s Official Ambassador.

To locate your nearest participating RSD shop, please visit http://www.recordstoreday.com/Stores

Legacy Recordings’ Record Store Day 2019 releases include:

Sly & The Family Stone, Live At Woodstock: Sunday, August 17, 1969 (2LP – Previously Unreleased On Vinyl)

Despite going on at 3:30 in the morning, Sly & The Family Stone electrified a generation with an explosive set at the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival on August 17, 1969. Five decades later, this infectiously energetic performance makes its vinyl debut, offering powerful renditions of classics like “Dance To The Music,” “Everyday People,” “I Want To Take You Higher” and more.