music

SATAN & ADAM: more than an odd couple

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From L:R – Subjects Adam Gussow and Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee in a still from SATAN & ADAM. Photo courtesy JFI

In the engaging documentary Satan & Adam, Adam, a young white Ivy Leaguer, takes a stroll through Harlem and encounters an older African-American street guitarist, who calls himself Mr. Satan. Adam, a talented amateur blues harmonica player sits in, and soon the odd couple are a busking team, a popular attraction at their regular sidewalk venue in Harlem.

“Mr. Satan” is an alias for an artist of note.  Mr. Satan’s talent and the odd couple novelty allows the act to soar to totally unexpected heights. But Satan has emotional and medical issues, and Adam might be a better fit for a career in academia, so this is a story with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.  Let’s just say that, over the past 23 years, there have been some significant detours on this journey.

The core of the film is about this unusual relationship and the peculiarities of these two guys, but it also traces the evolving race relations in NYC.

Satan & Adam is told primarily from Adam’s point of view, which is understandable because of Mr. Satan’s periodic unavailability and, when we see him unfiltered, his oft puzzling inscrutability.

I saw Satan & Adam at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), a fest noted or its especially rich documentaries.  It has finally been released in at least one Bay Area theater.

 

 

 

COLD WAR: tragic sacrifice for enduring love

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COLD WAR

In the sweeping romantic tragedy Cold War, Wiktor (Tomasa Kot) is a talented musician/arranger in post-War Poland and an archivist of folk music. He becomes the musical director of a communist state-sponsored folk music revue, and falls for the ensemble’s comely and spirited lead Zula (Joanna Kulig), despite her being a bit of a brat. This being the Cold War, the question is whether the couple can flee Poland to freedom, artistic and otherwise. Zula is so unreliable that this is not cut and dried. Instead, the story spans a decade and four European countries as writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski explores the depths of sacrifice that humans will make for love.

The story in Cold War is inspired by that of Pawlikowski‘s own parents. Cold War is not as compelling as his recent masterpiece Ida. Virtually every shot in Ida could be hung in a gallery, which is not the case in Cold War although there are many beautifully filmed sequences. Both Ida and Cold War are shot in exquisite black-and-white and in a boxy aspect.

Joanna Kulig’s appearance changes dramatically depending on her makeup – to an unusual extent. The Wife suggested that this reflected a chameleon-like aspect to the character of Zula.

I enjoyed the character of the slime ball toadie Kaczmerak (Boris Szyc), the administrative manager of the folk music group. Kaczermak is so accepting of the corruption in Cold War communist society, that he greets every development with tranquil aplomb.

Fans of Ida will recognize Agata Kulesza, who played Ida’s aunt, as Wiktor’s musical partner Irena.

I saw Cold War at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October.  It releases in theaters on December 21 and, having been financed by Amazon Studios, will be streamable from Amazon.

QUINCY: a musical giant in moments of unusual intimacy

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Quincy Jones in QUINCY

Let’s start with the subject of the biodoc Quincy, the musician, music producer and musical impresario Quincy Jones. Jones is a giant of 20th Century music, one of the most important and prolific musicians ever. This is an individual who has composed 51 screen scores and over 1000 original compositions. He was the musical partner of Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson during their most creative periods. Jones produced the best selling album of all time (Thriller) and the best selling single (We Are the World). Along the way, he picked up 79 Grammy noms and 27 Grammys, and is one of only 18 EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).

Quincy Jones amassed that legacy though multiple decades and musical genres and broke color barriers throughout his life. That makes wonderful fodder for this biodoc, co-written and co-directed by his daughter Rashida Jones.

Besides the archival footage and talking heads, Rashida Jones is able to share Quincy Jones himself in moments of unusual intimacy, where he contemplates his relationships with his ex-wives, his kids and his vodka, not to mention his schizophrenic mother and workaholic father.

The popular actress Rashida Jones is an accomplished filmmaker. This is the fifth film she has directed, and she co-wrote the unusually intelligent romcom Celeste and Jess Forever.

Quincy can be streamed from Netflix.

ONE VOICE: uplifting and optimistic

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ONE VOICE

The documentary One Voice: The Story of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir is my under-the-radar pick at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Suffice it to say, when I screened this film, the very first thing I did (while still on the couch with the credits rolling on my screener) was to buy online tickets for a live performance of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir.

Gospel music is generally thought of as a Protestant, and especially a Black Protestant, form of worship and art, but the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir is unusually inclusive. Members come from all ethnicities and sexual preferences and from up to 14 faiths. Even predominantly Black church audiences that are initially skeptical of an interracial gospel group appreciate their chops.

The Rainbow makeup of the choir, with folks from all backgrounds so passionately working together in the cause of gospel music, is the core of the movie. The warmth and authenticity of the diverse OIGC members are in sharp contrast to the current atmosphere of suspicion and hate in our national culture. As such, this is a powerfully optimistic and uplifting film.

That’s not to say that it’s saccharine Happy Talk. Artistic Director Terrance Kelly and the OIGC don’t sugarcoat the historic origin of the old spirituals.

The music in the film ranges from infectious to profoundly moving. The performance highlight of the film is soprano Nicolia Bagby Gooding’s solo on Lawd, How Come We Heah?.

Documentarians Spencer Wilkinson (director) and Mark R. DeSaulnier (producer) have created a crisp (64 minutes) and intoxicating film. One Voice will have its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival on Oct 10 and 13.

ONE VOICE: The Story of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir from Endangered Ideas on Vimeo.

DVD/Stream of the Week: THE SAPPHIRES – here’s a crowd-pleaser

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THE SAPPHIRES

This week’s video recommendation celebrates the opening of Cinequest with a nugget from the 2013 festival:  The Sapphires is a triumph of a Feel Good Movie. Set in the 1960s, a singing group from an Australian Aboriginal family faces racial obstacles at home, but blossoms when the girls learn Motown hits to entertain US troops in Vietnam. Remarkably, Tony Briggs based the screenplay on his mother’s real experience – make sure you stay for the Where Are They Now end credits.

The ever amiable Chris O’Dowd (one of the best things about Bridesmaids) is funny and charming as the girls’ dissolute manager. Jessica Mauboy, who plays the lead singer, has a great voice for soul music. A surprisingly beautiful song by the girls’ mom, played by veteran actress Kylie Belling, is an especially touching moment.

The Sapphires is not a deep movie, but it is a satisfying one. It’s predictable and manipulative, but I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy it. The Sapphires is a guaranteed good time at the movies.

The Sapphires is available to rent on DVD from Netflix and Redbox and to stream from Amazon Video, iTunes, Vudu, GooglePlay and Flixster.

https://youtu.be/h2Ty4r6mvgg

KEITH RICHARDS: UNDER THE INFLUENCE: jolly stories from a great raconteur

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KEITH RICHARDS: UNDER THE INFLUENCE
KEITH RICHARDS: UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Keith Richards: Under the Influence is a good enough excuse to spend time with the ever genial Keith Richards.  Keith is not just a rock icon and a medical marvel, he’s a great raconteur – ever genial, with an omnipresent cigarette-hacking chuckle.

Keith drops many a nugget while relating his own musical journey and much about American music of which he is a devotee:

  • About meeting Muddy Waters at Chess Records.
  • That he considers himself a better bass player than a guitar player.
  • How the intro licks to Street Fighting Man were recorded when only he and Charlie Watts came early to a recording session to mess around.
  • How his bass line with Charlie’s drumming sped up the pace to Sympathy with the Devil from a lament to really rockin’.
  • “I’m no longer a pop star and I don’t want to be one”.
  • A sharp observation that White “rock” can seem like a march, and “I prefer the ‘roll'”.
  • His period of not working with Mick Jagger in 1985-89 was “World War III”.
  • And there’s a VERY funny Johnny Cash-in-a-hotel-room story.

Here’s challenge – try to spell out Keith’s raspy chuckle. It’s something like “Huh-whey-whey-heh-heh”.

Keith Richards: Under the Influence has the feel of an infomercial for Richards’ book and newest solo album.  But, no matter, it’s time well spent.  Keith Richards: Under the Influence is available to stream from Netflix Instant.

A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON: Leon Russell in his prime

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Leon Russell in A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON
Leon Russell in A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON

During the years 1972-4, documentarian Les Blank hung out and filmed around Leon Russell’s Oklahoma recording studio, and A Poem Is a Naked Person is the result.

This was the period when Russell produced two of my very favorite albums, Leon Live and Hank Wilson’s Back, so I especially enjoyed the music.  There’s also a nice snippet of Willie Nelson (pre-beard and pigtails) singing Good Hearted Woman.

In fact, all of the Leon Russell parts (both talking and performing) are great. The problem is that Blank filmed everybody and everything in the neighborhood, including a tractor pull, the demolition of a building and a seemingly deranged and snake-obsessed artist.  There’s also a lot of conversation between people who are very stoned.  Getting stoned is a lot more fun than listening to stoned people talk.

The documentary’s puzzling title originates from liner notes on a Bob Dylan album.

A Poem Is a Naked Person has been a bit of a Lost Film, until recently only shown at screening where Blank was present.  Now you can stream it on Amazon Instant, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

Beware of Mr. Baker: please don’t hit me again, Ginger

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The documentary Beware of Mr. Baker traces the life of the extremely volatile legendary rock drummer Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith).  Baker is undeniably a musical genius, and the film highlights the stature of his work in both rock and jazz.  Unfortunately, the nasty combination of his aggressively anti-social personality and his heroin addiction precluded successful professional and familial relationships.  We hear about Baker’s good and bad sides from his former Cream band mates Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton, several of his ex-wives and his son, drummer Kofi Baker.  And we meet Ginger Baker himself, for better and for worse.  At one point, the septuagenarian Baker employs his cane to break the nose of the film’s director, Jay Bulger.

Bulger gets credit for comprehensive research into Baker’s life and times, for his inventive use of animation in depicting stages of Baker’s life and for getting the combustible Baker himself on camera.  Beware of Mr. Baker is the skillfully told story of a fascinating life.  Beware of Mr. Baker is now available on VOD through Amazon and other outlets.