A Taste of Heaven: The Ecstatic Song & Gospel of Maestro Raymond Anthony Myles

Maestro Raymond Anthony Myles was the electrifying Gospel Genius of New Orleans, a maverick musician and beloved preacher whose queer identity was obvious but remained unspoken in the Black church. His turbulent life was a complex and colorful journey, propelled by outsized talent, fierce ambition, and deeply rooted in the gritty, vibrant city that shaped him. A TASTE OF HEAVEN follows Myles from the everyday violence of public housing in New Orleans; to the public schools where he steered countless students away from gangs and drugs; to the Southern churches where he mesmerized the faithful; to the Telluride Bluegrass and Newport Folk festivals where he made new and wonderstruck fans as he was on the brink of music stardom. Like a comet shooting across the sky, he was here one minute—brilliant, incandescent, and unmistakably unique. And then, just as quickly, he was gone. A conversation with director, producer, and screenwriter Leo Sacks, moderated by Shelli Nicole, will immediately follow the screening. Co-Presented by Lighthouse Church of Chicago.