Music video brings musician back to roots

Music: Jazz singer Ellen Doty releasing new album Gold on March 29

By: Tammy Rollie   |  Posted: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 08:28 am
A Calgary musician tapped into her hometown connections to help push her singing career to the next level.

In preparation for the release of her first full-length album Gold on May 29, pop-jazz singer/songwriter Ellen Doty hooked up with her Okotoks area connections to film a ’50s-themed music video for her song No Good Men. The video was filmed in the Harmony House Bed & Breakfast in Okotoks and Marv’s Classic Soda Shop in Black Diamond and will be showcased as part of a compilation show called Press Record on Telus Optik Local on Demand starting June 13.

“It looks really amazing,” said Doty of the music video. “It was even better than I thought. I love it.”

The video was shot over three days in April, funded by a $7,500 grant from Public Records in Vancouver and Telus.

The video brings to life Doty’s emotional song No Good Men about a ’50s housewife mistreated by her husband who steals his Cadillac and leaves him.

“We thought it would make a really interesting story for a video because it’s very generic to do one when you show a band playing in a garage,” she said. “To actually tell a story and show it on film is very interesting. We thought that one would be the best story. It’s moving, but it’s also pretty light and playful in a way.”

After posting on Facebook that she was looking for a ’50s themed place to shoot her video, Doty said a number of people suggested Marv’s.

The setting was perfect for the scenes in the music video where a group of young people dance and her band performs. The filming was done in just one night and shot in black and white, said Doty.

“We had swing dancers,” she said. “Everyone was dressed in ’50s stuff.”

Restaurant owner Marv Garriott was glad to offer his restaurant for the music video. He said Doty is a family friend and one of his in-laws suggested the singer use his restaurant for the video.

“I was glad she chose the place,” he said. “It was a good experience and I’m really looking forward to seeing the video.”

Although some people have taken professional photographs in the ’50s style soda shop, Garriott said this was the first music video shot in his store. Marv had his own role playing a soda jerk, cleaning counters and serving pop to customers.
Read more: http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20140528/WHE0302/305289990/-1/WHE0316/music-video-brings-musician-back-to-roots