Scorcese's "Blues" on PBS

[jimac51]

I haven't been paying too much attention to the advance publicity for this series,only to be thankful that Ken Burns is not behind it(so no Gospel According to Wynton Marsalis). The series consists of individual films directed by some important film directors on different aspects of the music. A&M connections are to include:Garland Jeffreys and Vernon Reed performing in the Wim Wenders film;Ike Turner in the Richard Pearce selection;Turner again,along with Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee for Mark Levin;Terry & McGhee again in the film by Mike Figgis;and,finally,Clint Eastwood's portion on piano blues has Dave Brubeck,Dr. John and a performance recorded just a few weeks ago with the good Doctor and Pete Jolly. This information gathered through the Organissmo Forum and press releases they have posted there. Enjoy and comment if you see any of these films. Mac

 

[jimac51]

Caught the second portion of Eastwood's film tonight and,low and behold,Pete jolly was indeed at the keyboard performing "Little Bird",a song that was almost a hit before "Sweet September". After 40 years,he finds something new to say in that song! I have never seen him play,so these few moments were miraculous for me. The good Doctor John does indeed figure in the show(any dual work with Doc & Pete either never happened or was heavily edited in a montage of players past and present late in the film) and Doc is a walking history book of piano blues-he can't express himself verbally but he speaks decades with a piano. Dave Brubeck performed a brief duet with Jay McShann that gave me a greater respect that I had for Brubeck. The DVD versions of these films are supposed to contain complete performances of some of the spots(and I hope the films are available seperately)-this is one worth watching. Eastwood features prominently in the interviewing process but you gotta hand it to him to taking his passion of this music to an audience he knows is there primarily because he is on the screen. You know he has spent many a night under the spell of Pete Jolly in L.A. supper clubs. The Genius-Ray Charles-ends the film with a live version of his soulful reading of "America"-a bit odd to end on a patriotic note on a subject about a music reflecting troubles in the spirit,mind and body-but I found myself tearful at Ray's interpretation. Eastwood evidently wanted to end this on a red,white & blue moment and it is effective-Jazz & blues remain America's truly original artform,made up of different parts,just like so much of this country. Mac