[Dixielandjazz] THE BLUES - 7 preview blurbs

[Nancy Giffin]

Like it or not, here's what the seven directors will present:

Sept. 28: "Feel Like Going Home," directed by Scorsese
and written by Peter Guralnik, pays homage to the Delta blues though rare
archival footage of Son House, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker and new
performances by Willie King, Taj Mahal, Otha Turner and Ali Farka Toure.
Bluesman Corey Harris travels through Mississippi and West Africa, where he
explores the roots of the music.

Sept. 29: "The Soul of a Man," directed by Wim Wenders,
explores the lives and music of Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James and J. B.
Lenoir; the first two are examined via a surprisingly moving fictional
film-within-a-film and rare archival footage. Original recordings alternate
with contemporary covers by such artists as Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams,
Lou Reed, Cassandra Wilson and Los Lobos.

Sept. 30: "The Road to Memphis," directed by Richard Pearce
and written by Robert Gordon, features B.B. King, Bobby Rush, Rosco Gordon
and Ike Turner, as well as historical footage of Howlin' Wolf and Rufus
Thomas.

Oct. 1: "Warming by the Devil's Fire," directed by Charles Burnett,
is a fictional narrative about a young boy's encounter with his family in
Mississippi in the 1950s, and intergenerational tensions between the
heavenly strains of gospel and the devilish moans of the blues.

Oct. 2: "Godfathers & Sons," directed by Marc Levin,
finds Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess and heir to the Chess Records
legacy, and hip-hop legend Chuck D of Public Enemy, touring Chicago and its
grand blues history as they produce an album bringing together veteran blues
players and contemporary hip-hop stars.

Oct. 3: "Red White & Blues," directed by Mike Figgis,
revisits the music of the early '60s British Invasion that reintroduced the
American blues sound that had been pretty much ignored at home. Eric
Clapton, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison and Tom Jones perform and talk about
inspirations such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Freddie King.

Oct. 4: "Piano Blues," directed by Clint Eastwood,
explores his lifelong passion for piano blues.