Monday, June 13, 2005
Red, White and Blues - DVD Review
A film by Mike Figgis from The Martin Scorsese Blues Collection. Figgis uses a studio band, interviews ans archival footage to trace the development of the British blues scene from the 1950's through to the "British invasion" of the USA in the 1960's, which took the blues back to America and a broader white audience.
The studio band is excellent with Jeff Beck, Jon Cleary, Pete King and a good rhythm section backing Van Morrisson, Tom Jones and Lulu. The DVD features bonus performances of the band rehearsing in Abbey Road Studios.
The interviewee's, including Humphrey Lyttleton, Lonnie Donegan, John Mayall, Tom Jones and Eric Clapton, provide insight into the development of the UK blues scene in clubs, the impact of the US Forces bases and of merchant seamen bringing in blues records. B.B. King testifies that the British artists had a career reviving impact for many US black blues artists. No mention is made of the royalty issue where some artists covered songs and gave no credit to the authors.
A thoroughly enjoyable doco for blues fans.
The studio band is excellent with Jeff Beck, Jon Cleary, Pete King and a good rhythm section backing Van Morrisson, Tom Jones and Lulu. The DVD features bonus performances of the band rehearsing in Abbey Road Studios.
The interviewee's, including Humphrey Lyttleton, Lonnie Donegan, John Mayall, Tom Jones and Eric Clapton, provide insight into the development of the UK blues scene in clubs, the impact of the US Forces bases and of merchant seamen bringing in blues records. B.B. King testifies that the British artists had a career reviving impact for many US black blues artists. No mention is made of the royalty issue where some artists covered songs and gave no credit to the authors.
A thoroughly enjoyable doco for blues fans.
// posted by Willie @ 9:49 AM 
