The Black Fire Documentary is a powerful short film which explores the history of Black Fire Records; the music, art, business, messaging, and people involved with the independent label established in the mid-1970s in Washington, DC. Founded by Jimmy Gray and J. Plunky Branch, two iconic names in the music business synonymous with creativity and commitment, Black Fire was established to produce and amplify culturally relevant jazz and progressive original music for the Washington, DC community. This small, independent label would go on to revolutionize the music business, nationally and internationally. The acclaimed, 28-minute Black Fire Documentary recounts the story of the label’s founders and the musicians, artists, producers and radio personalities they influenced. The film depicts iconic images of the 1970s & 80s and speaks to how the music and activism of that era shaped the terrain of independent music business and paved the way for innovative jazz, hip-hop, deejays and Afro-future creatives.

Jazz funk saxophonist, Plunky talks about his career as a musician, his youth growing up in the American South and those who inspired him, including: Dr. Martin Luther King, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Maceo Parker, James Brown, Fela Kuti and others. The documentary is in English with French subtitles and features historical footage of all Plunky's idols mentioned above.

"Under the Radar – A Survey of Afro-Cuban Music" is a documentary that introduces viewers to the distinct music of Cuba, examining the enigmatic island’s music scene as it was in 2001. The film documents the travels and recordings of its producer/director, jazz saxophonist, J. Plunky Branch, and executive producer, Alvin Skipper Bailey, and highlights their musical interactions and collaborations of Afro-Cuban rumba, son, salsa, timba, rock, changui and hip-hop musicians and rappers. Branch and Bailey, both African-Americans, traveled under the auspices of a number of US universities, and in collaboration with the humanitarian organization, Pastors For Peace, to carry out this project. They toured the cities of Havana, Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba, to research and record a wide range of musicians. The results of their work is being disseminated through this 85 minute educational film and a series of three compilation music CD’s. For more than 50 years the United States has maintained an economic blockade against the Island of Cuba, restricting travel, investment and cultural exchange between Americans and their Caribbean neighbors just 90 miles south of Florida. Afro-Cuban music has inarguably been recognized as some of the most vibrant and influential rhythmic music in the world.

Join us on a journey where we are setting our sights on jazz, and how the collision of technology, music, social consciousness and African spiritualism burst open the door for a multi-genre approach to liberated black expression, sometimes known as Afrofuturism. Pioneers like Sun Ra, George Clinton, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Alice Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and Richmond’s own James Plunky” Branch were the embodiment of Afrofuturism before the term was created. In Sonic Threads, Richmond entrepreneur and consultant Kelli Lemon explores African American music influence on other musical genres. Subscribe so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@vpm-history/videos Keep up with us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myVPM Twitter: https://twitter.com/myVPM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myvpm/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myvpm #history #afrofuturism #sunra #music #richmond #plunkybranch #jazz #jazzmusic #technology #georgeclinton #blackpanther #herbiehancock