The Blues on PBS

I watched the first night. A bit uneven, but well worth it. I especially loved Son House--now HE had a voice! Also interesting was the cane flute. I'd hoped there would be more on the African roots of the flute, but it seemed as though the episode filmed in Mali was mostly feel-good stuff.

Your thoughts, Swimpy?

if you can get the cbc radio online - give this a listen

http://www.cbc.ca/theblues/

The first episode was fabulous!

I missed last night show but I'll be setting the VCR to tape the rest of them. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll rebroadcast the series so I can snag last nights session.

D'Art, I thought the cane flute part was the most interesting as well. This series is interesting in that the episodes are all separate projects created by different directors. The common theme is the Blues. I thought that it was interesting the Scorcese in the first installment chose to use Corey Harris (hope I got his name right) as his voice. I read some reviews that criticized him for that, but I thought it worked.

Beth, That looks really interesting. I'll try to find a link to listen on line.

fishin', They have put the entire series on DVD, but I'm also sure they will rebroadcast at some point.

Swimpy (and others): Check out this site for more on Otha Turner, including samples of his playing along with drummers. It really does sound to my ears like an African sound:

http://www.billandotha.com/bio.html

It was really neat to hear the progression of Son House's 'attacks' on his guitar... Muddy Waters, slightly more 'urbane' strumming, John Lee Hooker's dance-ability....

I do love the Blues, and have several tapes, have read bits--but this feels like its going to be an education.

I'm lovin' it.

Did love Son's voice.

Thanks, D'Art. here is a panel discussion going on over at the NYTimes about the series including one of the producers of last night's program. http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/[email protected]@.f4c823a/142

What an excellent program! I'm looking forward to the rest of it.

Ehbeth and d'art, thanks for the links.

Beth, I hope we remember to listen to the CBC program tonight. I'm listening to Otha right now, from the link D'Art gave, loving the interaction between the players. It was so good to actually see them perform; their love of the music and each other made it much more than a performance. Thank heaven Otha's family continues the tradition.

It was fascinating to hear about the development of music and rhythm after some of the instruments were banned by plantation owners, especially the drums. I guess they understood the compelling power of music--its magnetism, unifying force and sense of freedom--and its potential danger.

We haven't watched TV in so long, that we had forgotten that there are some things well worth watching.

Listening to part 2 of the CBC radio program right now - phewwwwwwwwwwwwww - Sun House is blowing me out of my chair.

OK, who watched the Wim Wenders film last night? I thought it was just a little weird--why all the white hipsters playing old blues songs? Lou Reed? And the space metaphor went way over my head.

But the archival footage of Cream playing "I'm So Glad" made my night. I guess white hipsters from 35 years ago are OK with me...

I watched it. For me, the best parts of both nights has been the footage of the original artists. How about that zebra-striped tailcoat?

That was cool, but most of that footage was not of the actual performers. It was made to look that way, and the music was real, but the film was shot by Wenders...

Wasn't that real footage of LeNoir, with music from another session?

Could be--have to admit, I wasn't watching all of it as carefully as I should've. Wenders' spaciness kind of threw me, and the fake footage in the first part bothered me. There is a way to know what was archival footage on the show's site.

Update: I checked the site, and you're right, there was archival footage of Lenoir.

I think they mixed some live footage in there with the hand crank b&w stuff that Wenders shot. I thought it was great. Did you watch the commentary after the film? I want to see that one again. The reason they used the white hipsters, as D'Artagnan calls them, was to show that the music is still live and relavent.

Great installment last night! Did you watch? It's always good to see B.B. King perform. I thought the scene between Ike Turner and Sam Phillips was a little creepy.

Yes, great installment - BB was great - I really liked his story about Bill Graham and the Fillmore. I agree on the Ike/Sam Phillips scene - it was a bit weird.