Concert Films pertaining to Africana Studies research.
Contents
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Muddy Waters : can't be satisfied by
"[The video] includes some bio material, tracing Waters's evolution from a sharecropping acoustic folk singer to a sharp-dressing, Chicago-based leader of one of the greatest electric bands ever, along with reminiscences and accolades from friends, family, and fellow musicians like Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, and Buddy Guy." - Sam Graham
The Jazz Channel presents B.B. King
"This electrifying Jazz Central performance features the trademark guitar and vocal styles that have made B.B. King one of the most influential blues musicians of the 20th century."
Can't you hear the wind howl? : the life and music of Robert Johnson
"This ambitious mixture of dramatic reconstruction with traditional documentary affords excellent insight into legendary bluesman Robert Johnson's life, the enduring power of his music, and the myth which surrounds him."- Sam Sutherland.
John Lee Hooker: that's my story by
"...there's no doubt that the late John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was in a class by himself, a genuine original whose music--raw, primitively simple, scary even, powered by his deep moan of a voice--was the very embodiment of the Delta blues style. Big names like Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, and many more line up to pay tribute to the man in this absorbing 90-minute documentary..." - Sam Graham
I am the Blues by
"Not only known for his songs, his bass playing and production have also been carried over to the sounds of artists from the 60's up until today. With such hits as 'I Just Want To Make Love To You', 'I Got The Blues' and 'Jungle Song' Dixon ushered in the bands of rock and Motown. This is a testament to the man and his music."
Alberta Hunter : my castle's rockin' by
"An American Film Festival Winner, this performance documentary DVD...explores the life, times, and music of a Blues and Jazz pioneer, singer Alberta Hunter. Complete with a full-length concert live from the Cookery in Greenwich Village, as well as rare vintage footage and interviews, this DVD captures the spirit of the 'Jazz Age,' while simultaneously showcasing Alberta Hunter's timeless vocals and music."
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee : Red River blues, 1948-1974 by
"...the 16 performances here remind us of this superb duo's complementary strengths: Sonny, the achetypal country blues harp player, whooping and 'fox chasing' in a style as old as any known; Brownie, the more urbane, but no less passionate exemplar of the southeast's Piedmont-style blues, a stunning guitarist and singer."
Wild women don't have the blues by
"Wild Women Don't Have the Blues shows how the blues were born out of the economic and social transformation of African American life early in this century. It recaptures the lives and times of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters and the other legendary women who made the blues a vital part of American culture."
Satchmo: Louis Armstrong by
"With over a dozen of his classic performances ranging from 1932 to the late sixties, Satchmo includes excerpts from Pennies from Heaven, Betty Boop cartoon, Going places, Jam session, New Orleans with Billie Holiday, High Society with Bing Crosby, and Hello Dolly with Barbra Streisand. Also included are live concerts with Dizzy Gillespie, and Jack Teagarden and the All Stars."
Sarah Vaughan : the divine one
"Packed with live performances spanning her entire career Sarah Vaughan-The Divine One offers a portrait of a woman who was personally shy and professionally unparalleled. Friends, family and fellow musicians speak illuminatingly of Sarah; among them Billy Eckstine, Roy Haynes, Joe Williams, George Gaffney, Sarah's mother, Ada, and her daughter, Paris."
Ella Fitzgerald: something to live for
"Archival footage of early performances, as well as later television appearances, capture Ella's pilgrimage from Depression-era New York, through her discovery at the Apollo Theater and subsequent emergence as a swing vocalist and on to her long career as a matchless pop and jazz stylist." - Sam Sutherland
Celebrating Bird : the triumph of Charlie Parker
"Documents the life and music of Miles Davis through interviews and performance clips. [Includes the songs:] So what -- New rhumba -- Blues for Pablo -- Time after time -- Footprints -- Al Jarreau -- Human nature."
Thelonious Monk, straight no chaser
"[This DVD] provides an intelligent portrait of this often reclusive, sometimes difficult artist, including telling glimpses of his volatility. A stormy studio session with Teo Macero, then Columbia Records' preeminent jazz producer, speaks volumes about Monk's very private approach to his muse. Perceptive interviews and glimpses of Monk's sunnier moments provide added depth, yet the real triumph is the generous catalog of classic Monk songs captured on camera." - Sam Sutherland
Sit down and listen: the story of Max Roach by
"Originally produced in 1984. Jazz drummer, bandleader, composer, and professor Max Roach reflects on his career in music; includes footage from the studio, on tour, and behind the podium."
The genius of Lady Day Billie Holiday by
"This DVD uncovers the life and career of [Billie Holiday], including many bonus tracks with rare TV and movie clips."--Container.
Mary Lou Williams : music on my mind by
"Pioneering Black American composer-arranger-pianist Mary Lou Williams is one of the most remarkable figures in the history of jazz. In this authoritative film, lively interviews with Williams, Dizzy Gillepsie and Buddy Tate interweave the musical and personal elements of her dramatic life. At the height of her career, she dropped out of music to help drug-addicted musicians in Harlem, making a triumphant comeback fifteen years later."
Sun Ra: a joyful noise by
"Here we see Ra and the band rehearsing and performing; their 'joyful noise' is free, sometimes chaotic, but also clearly blues-based, somewhat reminiscent of Monk or Mingus (there's even a rendition of 'Round Midnight'). Ra is also interviewed surrounded by the Egyptian artifacts and antiquities that were an important element of his 'mythocracy.'"
Charles Mingus : triumph of the underdog
"The documentary is full of well-preserved footage and contains interviews with many Mingus followers like Wynton Marsalis as well as performances by icons Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Gerry Mulligan. The film traverses past the musical legend with insight and information into Mingus's personal life, his civil rights activism, and his final triumph in the music world--just as his body began to deteriorate from Lou Gehrig's disease--to his eventual death in 1979."
Taylor Hackford's Chuck Berry : Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' roll by
"Two distinct portraits of Chuck Berry emerge in this lavish four-disc set...On one side there's the Berry who wrote a catalogue's worth of genre-defining songs...all of them filled with wit, delightful stories, and poetry...On the other hand, there's the Berry who, in the course of the film as well as the accompanying bonus material, emerges as a prickly cheapskate who drove the filmmakers and musicians nuts with his absurd demands and unpredictable behavior. Together they make a fascinating look at the guy who justifiably calls himself 'the father of rock 'n' roll.'" - Sam Graham
Ray Charles: the genius of soul
"An American original, Ray Charles was the innovator who fused gospel, jazz and blues to create modern soul music. Spanning five decades, this is a fascinating look at the man and his music."
Michael Jackson: Moonwalker
"A magical, musical journey into the world of Michael Jackson, Moonwalker is a feature-length extravaganza that will take you to the next dimension of special effects and thrill you with the most spectacular song and dance productions ever filmed. The story is told in the form of an anthology of never-before-seen film segments ..."
Prince: the glory years
Features: classic Prince performances re-assessed by a team of experts, live and studio footage, new interviews with Prince's confidants, rare photographs
The Show by
"This spirited documentary examines the world of rap music using both interviews and performance footage of many popular rappers at a Philadelphia concert. The singers address many aspects of their music and lifestyle including the apparent connection between rap performers and crime, the differences between East Coast and West Coast rap, the rampant use of marijuana amongst rappers, the genre's popularity and its influence outside the Black and Latino communities, and the disdain 'old school' rappers have toward the current more hardcore crop."
Quincy Jones in the pocket
A look at Quincy Jones' life and career as a composer, arranger, musician, and producer from his many friends and peers. Includes some behind the scenes and unseen footage
Beats : the true life story of Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young began his career selling mixed tapes out of his 2nd floor bedroom window in Compton California. Customers would page him then wait until a plastic bucket was lowered for them to put $5 into, then the bucket would return with a mix tape inside. It was crude but effective for the beat master who's sound would change the face of West Coast Rap. Today Dr. Dre is a legend who's beats were so dynamic a line of head phones baring his trademark are the must have item for any DJ serious about their craft. In this film you will meet the former Compton native who's creativity has inspired a generation and set a new standard in audio sound. .
Jimi Hendrix
"Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and Germaine Greer are all wheeled out to wax lyrical about their days with Jimi, but nothing is more eloquent than watching and listening to him play. From 'Hey Joe' in grainy black and white on the Ready Steady Go TV show, classic footage of Monterey, Woodstock (yes, 'The Star-Spangled Banner'), and the Isle of Wight festivals to an acoustic 12- string rendition of 'Hear My Train a' Comin',' Hendrix the musician speaks for himself."
The blues, a musical journey by
"'Musical journey' is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for these 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...There's also plenty of documentary footage, interviews, and contemporary studio performances recorded especially for these films."
Sweet Home Chicago by
"Utilizing historic footage and interviews with many blues performers, this film captures the sound of the great urban blues artists and tells the story of Chess Records, the independent company that became the premier home of Chicago blues."
Deep blues : a musical pilgrimage to the crossroads by
"Robert Palmer, author of Deep Blues and Dave Stewart, a member of Eurythmics pays tribute to the Mississippi blues and various blues artists. Special features include discographies of the performers, performance footage outtakes, an interview with Dave Stewart, bonus audio links, and weblinks."
American Roots Music, episodes 1, 2, 3 & 4 by
"American Roots Music is a four-part documentary. This landmark television program explores the development of uniquely American music genres during the 20th century. Each 1-hour episode features seminal historic footage and musical performances by the pioneers of American music and traces the cultural evolution that shaped and influenced our rich tapestry of music. Masters in the fields of Folk, Country, Blues, Gospel, Western Swing, Bluegrass, Cajun, Zydeco, Tejano and Native American music are celebrated."
Blue Note : a story of modern jazz by
"Directed by Julian Benedikt, the film concentrates on the label's glory days, the '40s, '50s, and early '60s. (Lion and Wolff sold the company, which is still in operation, in 1965.) There's a wealth of archival footage - much of it jaw-droppingly good - from a wide range of sources, as well as numerous interviews with Blue Note artists and fans. An unexpected treat for jazz cognoscenti is getting to see Lorraine Gordon, Lion's first wife and the proprietor of the Village Vanguard, pick up a phone during an interview and take a reservation for that night's show."
Jazz by
"Spanning more than 19 hours, Jazz is, of course, about a lot more than what many have called America's classical music--especially in episodes 1 through 7. It's here that Burns unearths precious visual images of jazz musicians and hangs historical narratives around the music with convincing authority."
Classic drum solos and drum battles by
"This 60 minute DVD features fifteen of the true 'legends of jazz drumming' in astounding extended solos and in rare, never-before-seen drum duels filmed over the last five decades. Among the highlights are uncut solos from big band legends Sonny Payne, Rufus Jones, Buddy Rich, Sam Woodyard and Louis Bellson as well as small group giants Art Blakey and Joe Morello."
Classic drum solos and drum battles. volume 2 by
"Bonus tracks: Bobby Troup's 'history of the jazz drum set' and a segment featuring the Gene Krupa Jazz Trio impersonating Russian musicians. Also includes an extensive photo gallery and a web link feature which connects to notes on each clip and biographies of each drummer. Clips of fifteen drum solos by various drummers spanning the years 1947 to 1989."