Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues - Red, White & Blues
by Clint Eastwood, Charles Burnett, Mike Figgis, Marc Levin, Richard Pearce
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chester Burnett, Chris Barber (II), Chris Farlowe, Clint Eastwood, Marcia BallDirector: Charles Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Marc Levin, Mike Figgis, Richard Pearce
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Compilation, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Hip-O Records
Movie Reviews of Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues - Red, White & Blues
Movie Review: Little treasures hidden here...
Summary: 5 Stars
If you even just sort of like the Blues, you might need to own this disc. For my money, the best parts were the recent live recordings by Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Jeff Beck and Lulu. You will be stunned.
The previous review hit it on the mark with the opening scene of Van Morrison walking into an Abbey Road session, liking the vibe, picking up a guitar and diving into the song. To quote Eric Clapton later on in the material, I was gobsmacked!
I've always liked Tom Jones' voice and presence but he just blew me away here. His love of the Blues and his understanding of that genre were something I had no idea about prior to watching this on PBS.
Then there's Jeff Beck. Back in the late 60's and early 70's, I was a big Jeff Beck fan especially of his guitar mastery. Here again, no idea about his feel for the Blues. The song "Drown in my own tears" with him on guitar and Lulu on vocal is something to be savored and treasured. When you watch this one, remember that Jeff Beck is over 60 years old... he's pure magic without the tricks. Watch his finger work on both hands particularly his string-bending. This is the real deal when it comes to guitar playing.
Lulu was an unexpected surprise in all of this. What a marvelous voice and feel for the Blues material here! She makes you feel the ache.... the phrase "hurts so good" comes to mind. Wow.
O.K., back to our story... who'd a thunk that a bunch of white British kids would introduce the Blues to America? That's right. That's what this disc details - the path of the Blues from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago and Detroit to Britain and back to America.
Back in the 50's and early 60's, the Brits had no compunctions about black musicians having white girlfriends and wives and so they listened, accepted, and came to love these gifted individuals and the music they brought with them. For those reasons, the USA turned it's back on them and would not allow their music to be played on most radio stations. Down south, white kids were listening to it on their transistors late at night under the covers.
Meanwhile over in England, Clapton, Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, the Beatles, Mick Fleetwood... were all tremendously influenced by the Blues ala Muddy Waters, Albert King, etc. Only thing is, they got it direct from the Horse's Mouth.
When these folks and THEIR bands came to America, they brought the Blues with them in the songs they covered and Americans said, "WHAT is THAT?" Because black musicians weren't played on mainstream radio stations, nobody had heard them before. So the message of the Blues had to migrate to England first before we could even pay attention. Because white musicians were the ones who brought it back, it was then accepted by mainstream America. If you love the Blues today, you owe a tremendous debt to the Brits.
This DVD chronicles that journey. The steps it took to complete it are outliined and elucidated by many, many British musicians whose love for the Blues just can't be hidden. In many cases, they were allowed to go up on stage and play behind these ambassadors of the Blues. Their admiration for the simplicity and feeling that are the key elements of great Blues material and the playing of it is readily apparent. For those reasons, this DVD will become a sparkling gem in any collection of Blues music and video you may already own.
Don't forget to scour the Special Features section on the DVD as well. Some very tasty stuff to be found there. The more I watch this disc, the more I feel like I'm in on some kind of very cool secret. I promise you won't be disappointed.
After viewing the DVD several times, I also bought the companion CD which features full length versions of the songs featured in the documentary. Pure dynamite!
Summary of Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues - Red, White & Blues
It may have been underrated when first broadcast on PBS on consecutive nights in the fall of '03, but executive producer Martin Scorsese's homage to the blues is a truly significant, if imperfect, achievement. "Musical journey" is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for the seven approximately 90-minute films follow the blues--the foundation of jazz, soul, R&B, and rock & roll--from its African roots to its Mississippi Delta origins, up the river to Memphis and Chicago, then to New York, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Red, White & Blues is Mike Figgis's entry in the series. --Sam GrahamMusic Video & Concerts DVD Video
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