Synopsis
This documentary follows Linnette Harrigan, a distant relative who sets out to uncover the enigma of late Caribbean soul-jazz pioneer Jon Lucien who vanished from the music business in the 1980s before re-emerging later as a world-music icon. As she maps his physical and artistic journey from the islands of the Caribbean to the bustling clubs of New York City and beyond, the film documents her own haunting musical homecoming. By connecting with Lucien’s velvet legacy, enduring discography, and the profound resilience he showed in the face of immense heartbreak, the filmmaker unlocks her own silenced voice and buried creative inheritance.
Jon Lucien was a Grammy-nominated pioneering Caribbean soul-jazz vocalist & composer. Documenting his life re-centers the vital, often overlooked Caribbean and Afro-Diasporic roots of Smooth Jazz and “Quiet Storm” music. Lucien’s life was also marked by profound tragedy—the accidental drowning of one daughter and the tragic loss of another on TWA Flight 800. The film explores music as a profound vehicle for resilience.
We are currently seeking donations for our production – a stirring and poignant biographical film that uncovers the triumphs, profound tragedies, and enduring artistic triumphs of a pioneering musical visionary. All donations are tax deductible with support from NYWIFT Fiscal Sponsorship program.
In today’s world of AI-generated music, many of our Jazz legends are forgotten, physical archives and firsthand memories of jazz eras are rapidly fading.
Thank you for support to help us honor and preserve this very important and underrepresented history before it is lost.
Producer | Director
LINNETTE A. HARRIGAN
Before producing and directing ‘Rediscovering Lucien,’ Linnette A. Harrigan spent more than a decade as an independent music supervisor in TV & film.
Among her credits, she was the music supervisor for such projects as ‘Motian In Motion,’ a documentary film feature broadcast on Apple TV in 2020 and for’ Rhonda Mitchell MD, ‘ the comedy series pilot sold to NBC Television in 2021.
Born in New York City, she’s a graduate of Hunter College with a degree in media production. As a writer/producer, she’s written music related contentfor short-form for such networks as BET (Black Entertainment Television).
Since 2022, Ms. Harrigan began independent film production under her company Linnette Harrigan Media Inc. after training with The New York Film Academy.
Also in 2022, she completed her first documentary film, a short entitled, “Cook Who Wrote The Book, ” about the life and music of late pioneer cooking show host Sylvia Elbaz.
She is now in pre-production with ‘Rediscovering Lucien,’ a music documentary film on the life and music of Jazz Singer Jon Lucien.
