Lightning in a Bottle
The brightest and most powerful natural energy contained in an enclosed space where it could be viewed, if only in a limited way. I guess that's a pretty accurate way to describe the one-time-only benefit concert fifty of the greatest blues artists gave at Radio City to celebrate 100 years of the blues.
Some of the highlights, for me, were Macy Gray, Steve Perry and of course blues legends BB King and Buddy Guy. The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua who directed King Arthur. He is seen as a promising if not particularly race conscious Hollywood director, who seems as well respected in NY, where he was given the job by Scorcese.
He did a decent job of informing while entertaining with concert footage and gave a good sense of the blues but not as much info as I would have liked. A commentary track by the too-busy Fuqua would have really helped. Having sung with a blues band, I have some sense of it musically, but I'd love to know more background on the performers and more info on the history of the blues and how it's distinguished from other forms of music. You can certainly hear it in rock and, of course R&B, but how would you define a new blues song? How is the sound of the blues evolving?
I guess the songs typically have a 1-4-5 chord progression and the parameters seem pretty limited as genres go. It's an older form and I guess they do tend to atrophy a bit over time, though there's beauty in that too. Blues is as real and primal as it gets (unless you're Yoko Ono). Country is for the lovelorn whiners. Blues is for the real downtrodden, yet contained therein is the ultimate joy in being able to express it. To me, blues is as happy as it is sad. It's about commiseration and empathy, as well as loneliness. It's about the ultimate reward as much as it's about poverty.
It's interesting that you have to go to the old blues guitarists to really see some black fingers run that neck. You've got Chuck Berry, Hendrix... almost every other black artist was groomed out of Motown, funk, rap or their progeny. There are more blacks proficient on the turntable than the guitar. Look at Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists (RS 931)... relatively few blacks, especially when you consider their presence in music generally, and those are mostly from the pre-rock era.
I love singing the blues because it offers the most avenue for expression... it's deep, it's real. When people bottle stuff up, they get the blues, and sometimes, the only way to get it out... is to sing the blues. So when your lightning is in a bottle, let it out. Bottling up powerful forces of nature can result in some deep and powerful feelings, but it's the release and expression of what has been pent up, expressed, that is the art and the freedom.
Some of the highlights, for me, were Macy Gray, Steve Perry and of course blues legends BB King and Buddy Guy. The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua who directed King Arthur. He is seen as a promising if not particularly race conscious Hollywood director, who seems as well respected in NY, where he was given the job by Scorcese.
He did a decent job of informing while entertaining with concert footage and gave a good sense of the blues but not as much info as I would have liked. A commentary track by the too-busy Fuqua would have really helped. Having sung with a blues band, I have some sense of it musically, but I'd love to know more background on the performers and more info on the history of the blues and how it's distinguished from other forms of music. You can certainly hear it in rock and, of course R&B, but how would you define a new blues song? How is the sound of the blues evolving?
I guess the songs typically have a 1-4-5 chord progression and the parameters seem pretty limited as genres go. It's an older form and I guess they do tend to atrophy a bit over time, though there's beauty in that too. Blues is as real and primal as it gets (unless you're Yoko Ono). Country is for the lovelorn whiners. Blues is for the real downtrodden, yet contained therein is the ultimate joy in being able to express it. To me, blues is as happy as it is sad. It's about commiseration and empathy, as well as loneliness. It's about the ultimate reward as much as it's about poverty.
It's interesting that you have to go to the old blues guitarists to really see some black fingers run that neck. You've got Chuck Berry, Hendrix... almost every other black artist was groomed out of Motown, funk, rap or their progeny. There are more blacks proficient on the turntable than the guitar. Look at Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists (RS 931)... relatively few blacks, especially when you consider their presence in music generally, and those are mostly from the pre-rock era.
I love singing the blues because it offers the most avenue for expression... it's deep, it's real. When people bottle stuff up, they get the blues, and sometimes, the only way to get it out... is to sing the blues. So when your lightning is in a bottle, let it out. Bottling up powerful forces of nature can result in some deep and powerful feelings, but it's the release and expression of what has been pent up, expressed, that is the art and the freedom.
posted by Intervision at 3:28 PM
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