Thursday, May 26, 2005
Feel Like Going Home - DVD Review
Directed by Martin Scorsese from The Blues Film Collection
This well crafted film explores the roots of the blues. It follows folklorists John and AlanLomax’s journeys through the southoern USA documenting folk music for the Library of Congress. We see work hollers and songs of slaves on the plantations, levees and prisons of the Mississippi delta area and early dance music performers and street musicians. The film shows the increasing sophistication of the music with performers such as Robert Johnson. Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker are featured in a section about the electrification of the blues when post World War 2 blacks moved to the industrial centres of the north, especially Chicago, in search of jobs. Scorsese then explores Alan Lomax’s thesis of the ancient African origins of the blues, firstly in the Misssissippi with cane player Otha Turner and then to Mali with Ali Farka Toure.
Scorsese uses archival footage of the older performers such as Son House, whilst Corey Harris interviews and plays guitar with descendants and current practitioners of the music which brings it to life very effectively. You never get the feeling that you're watching the National Geographic Channel
Blues aficionados will love it. While there is nothing new musically, it brings together in one package much rarely seen footage. The extras package has some great performances by Harris with Taj Mahal, Keb Mo and others. For newcomers to the genre it will serve as an excellent primer. If you are tempted to delve deeper you could read Alan Lomax’s ‘Land where the Blues Began’, Pantheon Books, New York, May 1993.
This well crafted film explores the roots of the blues. It follows folklorists John and AlanLomax’s journeys through the southoern USA documenting folk music for the Library of Congress. We see work hollers and songs of slaves on the plantations, levees and prisons of the Mississippi delta area and early dance music performers and street musicians. The film shows the increasing sophistication of the music with performers such as Robert Johnson. Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker are featured in a section about the electrification of the blues when post World War 2 blacks moved to the industrial centres of the north, especially Chicago, in search of jobs. Scorsese then explores Alan Lomax’s thesis of the ancient African origins of the blues, firstly in the Misssissippi with cane player Otha Turner and then to Mali with Ali Farka Toure.
Scorsese uses archival footage of the older performers such as Son House, whilst Corey Harris interviews and plays guitar with descendants and current practitioners of the music which brings it to life very effectively. You never get the feeling that you're watching the National Geographic Channel
Blues aficionados will love it. While there is nothing new musically, it brings together in one package much rarely seen footage. The extras package has some great performances by Harris with Taj Mahal, Keb Mo and others. For newcomers to the genre it will serve as an excellent primer. If you are tempted to delve deeper you could read Alan Lomax’s ‘Land where the Blues Began’, Pantheon Books, New York, May 1993.
// posted by Willie @ 12:10 AM 
