Thermidor

​At the turn of the twentieth century, an itinerant Creole musician sold his trumpet to pay for his funeral. Over the following decades, this trumpet became a prized possession, bouncing around the speakeasies of New York City, only to reappear in San Francisco’s jazz scene in the 1970s. The trumpet is identified by an engraving in the shape of a pecan leaf and is known as the “Lapadite" Trumpet, in honor of the musician buried by the banks of the Mississippi.

Nick agrees to help Vanessa film a documentary about Shade Mann Bates, Nick's father's trio. Together, they travel around the country and to New Orleans to meet Desmond Bates, a former member of the trio. Nick discovers he still has feelings for Vanessa, who left after high school, not knowing she has a secret of her own that will force a hard reckoning with the past.

The mysterious Ms. Peet, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, takes care of Bates in his mansion in Bayou St. John. Initially, Nick is scared of Ms. Peet, but she knows more about Nick's parents' secret history than she lets on and becomes an unexpected ally.

​In 1974, Martin Shrader, known by his artistic name "Shade," recorded “Thermidor,” a breakthrough jazz album. A few weeks later, Martin disappeared, and no one saw him again. His son, Nick, grew up haunted by his missing father, convinced that Martin was trying to communicate with him through his music, though he never fully understood why. That changed when a high school girlfriend showed up with evidence that his father might still be alive.

While visiting Bates' home in Bayou St. John, Nick stumbles upon some old diaries and discovers a secret love affair between Desmond Bates and his late mother. This unsettling revelation unleashes a series of events as Nick tries to resist Vanessa’s relentless push to dig deeper into his parents’ past.

All of Vanessa's and Nick's inquiries lead back to the Lapadite Trumpet when they discover that Nick's father used it to record Thermidor. However, the trumpet wields a special power over anyone who owns it. Realizing this, Nick makes peace with his father and bequeaths his legacy in the most surprising manner.