Ben Makinen’s latest documentary is a comprehensive and absorbing work that breaks tradition by highlighting exceptional and groundbreaking musicians while calling for change.
—Jeanne Denizard, The Sleepless Critic
ECHOES OF TRADITION A Film by Ben Makinen
“Echoes is beautifully shot and edited with a relaxed feel that flows like water.” —Bruce Boyd Raeburn, former Curator, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University
“Ben Makinen’s latest documentary is a comprehensive and absorbing work that breaks tradition by highlighting exceptional and groundbreaking musicians while calling for change.” —The Sleepless Critic
“All the credit's gone to the Africans for the wonderful rhythm in jazz, but I think a lot of it should go to the American Indian." —Ruth Ellington, Duke's sister
Echoes of Tradition is a groundbreaking one-hour documentary film from award-winning director and executive producer Ben Makinen that uncovers hidden contributions of Native Americans—including Navajo/Diné, Ute, Nez Perce, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Abenaki peoples—to the genesis of jazz music. The film explores cultural intersectionality with the African diaspora, and uplifts voices from the Black, Creole, and European communities whose ancestral rhythms, spirituals, and traditions have long shaped the foundation of this art form called jazz.
Echoes of Tradition has secured a national distribution commitment through the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), ensuring its availability to Public Television stations across the United States. The film is now actively seeking underwriting partners who wish to align with a groundbreaking cultural documentary that honors Native American, Black, and LGBTQ+ contributions to jazz.
In recognizing the diversity of the many who have shaped jazz from the beginning Echoes also highlights LGBTQ+ musicians whose creative expressions and personal journeys embody jazz’s spirit of freedom and self-determination.
Culture bearers from the matriarch share their own stories and give voice to the legacies of their elders.
Watch Echoes of Tradition–FREE
Sign up at Ben’s Jazz Curve on Patreon — no password required, just your name and email.
Through captivating storytelling, live performances, archival footage, and interviews with GRAMMY-winning and internationally recognized musicians, historians, and cultural custodians, this film celebrates the profound influence of America’s Indigenous musical traditions on one of its most iconic art forms—jazz.
The film features performances and insights from internationally acclaimed artists including:
Executive Producers: Ben Makinen, Clay Cabe
Producers: R. Carlos Nakai, Terri Pederson (Tidal Breeze Jazz Arts)
Cultural Advisor: R. Carlos Nakai
Production Company: Bmakin Film ltd
Written, Directed and Editied by Ben Makinen
Legal & Ethical Standing: Echoes of Tradition was produced with signed releases and clear consent from all participants, including additional permissions for use of media granted through direct communication with contributors. While a few individuals later expressed discomfort, the filmmaker continues to hold space for their perspectives while upholding the legal and ethical right to share their stories. Both producer R. Carlos Nakai and producer Terri Pederson continue to support the film and its message.
The Conversation Continues: The making of this film has stirred conversation around consent, ownership, and cultural storytelling—but the story at its heart is one of reverence, resilience, and recognition. It brings long-overdue attention to voices too often sidelined in jazz history.
This is a limited-time, exclusive release of the Director’s Cut — a film that’s sparking international conversation about jazz, heritage, and who gets to tell the story.
Bmakin Film is in Post Production with We Are Here: Women In Jazz—an exciting examination of the balance of masculine and feminine energy and the obstacles women face in the male dominated jazz industry.
In Partnership with the International Modern Film Alliance (IMFA); The Bali International AI Film Festival (BIAIFF) and Tidal Breeze Jazz Arts.
“Echoes is beautifully shot and edited with a relaxed feel that flows like water.” —Bruce Boyd Raeburn, former Curator, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University
“Ben Makinen’s latest documentary is a comprehensive and absorbing work that breaks tradition by highlighting exceptional and groundbreaking musicians while calling for change.” —The Sleepless Critic
“All the credit's gone to the Africans for the wonderful rhythm in jazz, but I think a lot of it should go to the American Indian." —Ruth Ellington, Duke's sister
Echoes of Tradition is a groundbreaking one-hour documentary film from award-winning director and executive producer Ben Makinen that uncovers hidden contributions of Native Americans—including Navajo/Diné, Ute, Nez Perce, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Abenaki peoples—to the genesis of jazz music. The film explores cultural intersectionality with the African diaspora, and uplifts voices from the Black, Creole, and European communities whose ancestral rhythms, spirituals, and traditions have long shaped the foundation of this art form called jazz.
Echoes of Tradition has secured a national distribution commitment through the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), ensuring its availability to Public Television stations across the United States. The film is now actively seeking underwriting partners who wish to align with a groundbreaking cultural documentary that honors Native American, Black, and LGBTQ+ contributions to jazz.
In recognizing the diversity of the many who have shaped jazz from the beginning Echoes also highlights LGBTQ+ musicians whose creative expressions and personal journeys embody jazz’s spirit of freedom and self-determination.
Culture bearers from the matriarch share their own stories and give voice to the legacies of their elders.
Watch Echoes of Tradition–FREE
Sign up at Ben’s Jazz Curve on Patreon — no password required, just your name and email.
Through captivating storytelling, live performances, archival footage, and interviews with GRAMMY-winning and internationally recognized musicians, historians, and cultural custodians, this film celebrates the profound influence of America’s Indigenous musical traditions on one of its most iconic art forms—jazz.
The film features performances and insights from internationally acclaimed artists including:
- R. Carlos Nakai – Legendary Native American flutist, producer, and cultural advisor
- Julia Keefe – Nez Perce jazz vocalist and advocate for Indigenous jazz legacies
- Delbert Anderson – Navajo/Diné trumpeter bridging traditional Native music and modern jazz
- Endea Owens – Grammy, Emmy, and Peabody Award winning bassist
- Ingrid Jensen – Juno Award-winning trumpeter and Dean of Jazz Arts at Manhattan School of Music
- Tanya Darby – Chair of Brass at Berklee College of Music
- Chantil Dukart – Tsimshian/Sugpiac singer and pianist
- Shirazette Tinnin – Jazz drummer, Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor of Drums at Berklee College of Music
- Harleen Singh – Indian Dj/singer songwriter
- Sherrie Maricle – Leader & Drummer of the all-women DIVA Jazz Orchestra
- Cristina Pattuelli – Professor of Information Science, Pratt Institute
- Jan Johnson – University of Idaho jazz historian and cultural researcher
Executive Producers: Ben Makinen, Clay Cabe
Producers: R. Carlos Nakai, Terri Pederson (Tidal Breeze Jazz Arts)
Cultural Advisor: R. Carlos Nakai
Production Company: Bmakin Film ltd
Written, Directed and Editied by Ben Makinen
Legal & Ethical Standing: Echoes of Tradition was produced with signed releases and clear consent from all participants, including additional permissions for use of media granted through direct communication with contributors. While a few individuals later expressed discomfort, the filmmaker continues to hold space for their perspectives while upholding the legal and ethical right to share their stories. Both producer R. Carlos Nakai and producer Terri Pederson continue to support the film and its message.
The Conversation Continues: The making of this film has stirred conversation around consent, ownership, and cultural storytelling—but the story at its heart is one of reverence, resilience, and recognition. It brings long-overdue attention to voices too often sidelined in jazz history.
This is a limited-time, exclusive release of the Director’s Cut — a film that’s sparking international conversation about jazz, heritage, and who gets to tell the story.
Bmakin Film is in Post Production with We Are Here: Women In Jazz—an exciting examination of the balance of masculine and feminine energy and the obstacles women face in the male dominated jazz industry.
In Partnership with the International Modern Film Alliance (IMFA); The Bali International AI Film Festival (BIAIFF) and Tidal Breeze Jazz Arts.
