I’m No Square: The Freddy & Ann Taylor Story
(Feature, Limited Series or Musical Theater)
Biopic · Musical · Period · Romance | True Story
Status: Concept, Research to Treatment
Comps: Round Midnight | Loving | Sylvie’s Love | Bird

Logline: You know the Duke, the Count, now meet the Baron. His music contemporaries in the 1930s-1960s called Freddy Taylor the Baron of Swing Jazz.

Synopsis: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Coleman Hawkins, Bill Coleman, and Jean “Django” Reinhardt are among the music legends Freddy Taylor worked and played with while wining and dining with royalty, and pleasing his devoted fans from Harlem to Paris as the Baron of Swing Jazz. At its heart, I”M NO SQUARE is a love story between soulmates: a charming, womanizing African-American man and an insecure, but savvy beautiful, Russian Jewish woman who was languishing in a lackluster marriage when their eyes met that magical night at a club in 1930’s NYC. Many years later in her late 70s, Ann Taylor (his widow) tells their story to a young woman, Valerie Mich’El, she befriends at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting while kicking the heroin addiction she and Freddy developed that eventually lead to his death.  In an unexpected twist, Ann falls deeply in love with Valerie despite their 30 year age difference while sharing the story of her life with Freddy.

Listen to “All My Life”–Ann’s love song to Valerie Mich’El received in the middle of the night by Valerie which she sang into a tape recorder so she wouldn’t forget it–not knowing that Ann had passed away.

We are currently seeking Co-Writer, Producer, Production company for early stage creation and development. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Valerie Mich”El below, and be sure to put I’M NO SQUARE in the Subject field of your email:

Valerie Mich’El Oliver (Producer, U.S.)
Email: oliver.valerie@thepursuitstudio.net

Image Above: Freddy Taylor (Bandleader, Trumpeter, Singer) leading his band, Freddy Taylor and His Swing Men From Harlem.

Images Below: Ann Taylor with a friend at a social event (top left), Valerie Mich’El (top right), Ann Taylor (bottom right), Freddy (bottom right)