I am really enjoying Martin Scorsese's blues series on PBS. Sunday night's debut was a journey, directed by Scorsese himself, from the Mississippi Delta to Mali in West Africa with young bluesman Corey Harris, going farther and farther back in time until all black music conjoined in the primordial, wildly percussive mist.
I didn't learn all that much about the blues - although Son House was a revelation - since I was already fairly familiar with the Delta and West African traditions, but it did remind how much I love the dreadlocked Harris, a very appealing multi-instrumentalist, whose latest album Downhome Sophisticate is a brilliant tour, in its own right, through black music styles.
Last night's episode was a very strange but ultimately affecting film directed by Wim Wenders, centering on his three favorite bluesmen: Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James and J.B Lenoir. Wenders used actors to tell the stories of Johnson - whose song "The Soul of a Man" was selected for the Voyager time capsule and shot into space 25 years ago (a recurring theme for Wenders) - and James, and found original film footage of J.B Lenoir, shot for, but never used on Swedish television.
It is the footage of Lenoir - an affable family man who died from auto accident injuries in the late-'60s, just as he was becoming known to a new generation of blues fans - that tugs at the heart. The couple who shot the film appear crushed by his tragic death to this day. I was barely cognizant of Lenoir's name prior to this - now I am an ardent fan.
The series continues nightly for the rest of the week - Steve Rhodes says tonight's episode on B.B. King is his favorite.
Article comments
1 - Taloran
I've been watching it too - I missed the first night, but caught the Wenders film and last night's film about B.B. King and the other Memphis bluesmen. I loved the Wenders film - I was captivated. Last night's episode was less wonderful, but still held my attention throughout. I look forward to watching the rest of the series.
2 - Eric Olsen
From a filmmaking standpoint last night's wasn't nearly as inventive or "cinematic" - pretty much straight documentary style - but King and especially Rush were extremely human and appealing. I just put up a review here.
3 - Mark Saleski
i loved the wenders episode. very cool.
last night's king/rush 'standard' documentary was good in a different way.
nice to see what these folks go through.
250-300 nights a years. dats a lotta bus sittin'.
...and do do need some j.b. lenoir music now.
4 - Taloran
I'm going to look up Lenoir as well. I'd never heard of him, but my interest is piqued.