Crown Royal Sponsors Sundays At The Triple Nickel

Diageo-owned Crown Royal has sponsored the short film, “Sundays at the Triple Nickel” – directed by Jess Colquhoun, the film tells the story of Marjorie Eliot, a lifelong Harlem resident, retired music teacher and pianist, who used her love of music as an opportunity to heal, while giving back to the art form and community she loves. After her son Phillip passed away more than 20 years ago, she began hosting jazz concerts as a tribute to him, opening the doors to her home every Sunday to longtime neighbors and others looking for great jazz and a good time.

Every Sunday for 26 years, she’s opened her apartment, sat out folding chairs on every inch of available floor space, and performed along with her son Rudel, actors, musicians, and spoken word artists. She has maintained this ritual as a way to communicate with her son Philip, commemorating the Sunday that he passed away. She plays her piano in tribute to him, as a timeless elegy, and as a way to endure.

The film’s title comes from the apartment building address–555 Edgecombe Avenue, also known as the Triple Nickel – located in the Sugar Hill area of Harlem and which has long been home to jazz legends. Marjorie’s building was one of the most significant locations in the neighborhood, with musical tenants–––from Duke Ellington to Count Basie and Johnny Hodges–––who transformed their homes into stages.

Sundays At The Triple Nickel from Stept Studios on Vimeo.

Colquhoun is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer who splits her time between London and Los Angeles with documentaries “Valley Of A Thousand Hills” (Best Family Film – San Francisco Film Festival 2017) and “The Black Mambas” (Winner Glamour Magazine x Girl Gaze #NewView Film Competition 2017) to her film credit while her photography was recently exhibited at the “Fired Up!” display at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
The full 12:51 version of the short film is above with trailer below.