Blues + Cinema = The Blues Brothers?

I am ecstatic about several things in this world. For now, I'll let you know about two:


1. Blues music.

2. Good films.


Blues music and good films fit together like Santa and Rudolph, Eminem and 50 Cent, Diet Coke and Mentos, and Jim Jones and Kool-Aid. Well, maybe not like Jim Jones and Kool-Aid, but blues and film do work together quite well all the same. Different films use blues music as a background and I would say The Blues Brothers is one of the best comedies ever made. I'm not a big fan of math, but when you take a plus b (a being blues and b being cinema), I believe the result would be The Blues Brothers. Keep in mind that I wasn't using one of those number devices (a calculator?), so you might want to double-check my answer just to make sure. 

The Blues Brothers (1980), starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, is a comedy film based off of the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name. The movie's title does not actually refer to blues music per se, instead referencing characters Elwood Blues (Aykroyd) and Joliet Blues (Belushi), a.k.a. "The Blues Brothers," also the name of their R&B band. That's right, R&B (rhythm and blues). I would not classify The Blues Brothers totally under the blues genre just yet, although the song "Sweet Home Chicago" is a definite exception:

 

Speaking of brothers, director/brother duo Ethan and Joel Coen made an excellent and really funny film called O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). The Odyssey-inspired movie stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson as three escaped convicts searching for treasure in Depression-era Mississippi. The soundtrack is a mix of country and blues, with some folk thrown in too. In my opinion, there couldn't be a better musical combination. But don't be so quick to drink my Kool-Aid, judge for yourself:

 

The name of the band, comprised of George Clooney (lead vocals), John Turturro (background vocals), Tim Blake Nelson (background vocals), and Chris Thomas King (guitar), is called The Soggy Bottom Boys (a play-on-words in correlation with real-life bluegrass band, The Foggy Mountain Boys). O Brother, Where Art Thou?'s soundtrack was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who is among the top music experts in film. Burnett has worked on various other projects, including Walk the Line (2005) and Crazy Heart (2009), for which he has also received numerous Academy and Grammy Awards. Want to hear some more from The Soggy Bottom Boys? Check out http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/search?q=The%20Soggy%20Bottom%20Boys, where a playlist full of songs is there for you to enjoy.

I recommend both The Blues Brothers and O Brother, Where Art Thou? for some genuine hilarity. Prepare to be rolling over with laughter, because these movies are really funny. Out of the two, I would pick O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but that's only because I'm a bigger fan of the Coen brothers (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit) than I am of John Landis (Michael Jackson music videos). The only film directed by the Coens that I didn't thoroughly enjoy was 2008's Burn After Reading.

I'm saying all of this because I'm waiting in anticipation for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 8:00 p.m on ABC. I look forward to watching this celebrity-filled extravaganza every year. I'm a little worried about the upcoming show, however, because Anne Hathaway and James Franco are co-hosting. In the past, tradition has been set forth that well-known, older comedians host the event. Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Jack Lemmon, Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, and John Stewart are some who have hosted since the awards show began in 1929. Almost all were older, somewhat funny people. James Franco is thirty-two and mildly hilarious (think of 2008's Pineapple Express). On the other hand, twenty-eight-year-old Anne Hathaway is not really that funny. I'll admit that I laugh at Hathaway's films, but that is only because I think she is terrible in them. One positive note is that the hosts are generally invisible during the show, only appearing sporadically to sing or read the teleprompter. Maybe it won't be so bad. Hopefully Anne Hathaway does good, and then I will owe her an apology.

Based on this clip from 2010's Alice in Wonderland, I doubt that will happen.

Artist of the Week: The Soggy Bottom Boys(taken from http://www.timeinc.net/)
Although they're not a real band that tours and makes albums year after year, they've still got one album and I think they deserve some credit for that. Technically, George Clooney and the rest of the band did not record their own music; meaning, they lip-synched in the film. I'm not that bitter, though, because they make up for it with their comical acting. Come on in and listen, boys and girls, the music's fine.

New Album of the Week: Deluxe Edition by Shemekia Copeland
Released 01.18.2011
(taken from http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Shemekia-Copeland/dp/B004BBPKWM/ref=pd_nr_m_17?ie=UTF8&s=music)
I'll admit that I had never heard of Shemekia Copeland until I came across her album, Deluxe Edition, on Amazon.com. Once I previewed the opener, "Turn the Heat Up," I was blown away. Shemekia's got some amazing vocals, much better than I was expecting. I listened to this compilation album over and over again, entranced by her bluesy, Aretha-channeling voice. The 31-year-old singer is the daughter of famed blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, but she's proved that she is her own musician. Deluxe Edition is wonderful and I encourage anyone to give it a try. You can preview snippets of the album on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Shemekia-Copeland/dp/B004BBPKWM/ref=pd_nr_m_17?ie=UTF8&s=music), or you can check out http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/search?q=Shemekia%20Copeland to hear full length tracks.

You Call That a Grammy?

I do! Disregarding any other opinions for the moment, I thought last night's 53rd Annual Grammy awards were given to the right people. Sure, every year there are always a few artists that probably do not deserve the nomination, let alone the award. However, I thought this year was at least better in terms of the shiny gramaphones being presented to their rightful owners. Outside of the blues genre, my personal favorite was Arcade Fire's win for Album of the Year (The Suburbs). I love this band and I'm glad they are finally getting recognition for their work. If you have not heard them and would like to listen to some of their stuff, I cannot help you. What do you think this is, an indie rock blog?

The biggest disappointment of the night for me, other than Justin Bieber's hair, was Bob Dylan. Despite his insightful lyrics, folky-rock sound, and magical harmonica, this veteran Woody Guthrie-wannabe was really not good. That's putting it in the most sympathetic terms. He sang live with Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers, who I think are decent. Honestly, the old guy brought the newbies down. Now, I'm a huge Dylan fan. Let me clarify, I'm a huge 1960's- and "Hurricane" (1975)-Dylan fan. Here is an example:

As you can probably already tell, the times really are a-musically changing. Still, I miss the old Bob Dylan. I understand that I should not complain. Who knows? Maybe he was just having a bad night or got infested with laryngitis. Hopefully in the future he can sound better (without auto-tune, by the way). The winners of my Grammy Awards, which have no validity and essentially mean nothing outside of my own mind, include:

Buddy Guy (Best Blues Song for "Thank Me Someday")

Eric Clapton (Best Blues Album for Clapton)

Joe Bonamassa (Best Blues Artist)

Like I said before, these "awards" mean nothing except to me. After thinking more about it, maybe receiving a Grammy is not all it is talked up to be. I realize that the Grammy's are a pretty big deal - they are the Oscars of music. But if artists like Eminem and Lady Gaga are the ones taking all the awards, maybe getting a Grammy is not all that special. Honestly, the musicians who create music solely for the love of creating music are the ones I think deserve the most recognition. Of course, it is impossible to determine if a musician makes music because they love it. Or is it?

"For me, it's about the music. I'm just the messenger, and I hope to do it as long as I live." - Eric Clapton (http://www.thinkexist.com/)



Eric Clapton? Never not heard of him. He's the real deal.

"My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow thath horn." - Louis Armstrong (http://www.thinkexist.com/)



I think the greatest trumpet player of all-time, not including Miles Davis, is a true musician.

"When you don't have anything, you have everything." - Mother Teresa (http://www.goodreads.com/)

(http://turnbacktogod.com/)

Mother Teresa was not a musician to my knowledge, but an inspiring person nonetheless. I guess this Catholic thing is starting to grow on me.

Artist of the Week: Emily Anne Reed

(http://www.tv.broadway.com/)

Old-time jazzy singer Emily Anne Reed is a contestant on the tenth season of the popular singing show American Idol. Now, American Idol is not the happiest place on earth; DisneyWorld takes that crown. Therefore, this show can be quite tiresome and frustrating to the viewer, yet extremely addicting. Even so, the voter-generated reality program has given the universe some worthwhile talent. I could count on my hand the number of contestants on American Idol that I enjoy: LaToya London, David Cook, Fantasia Barrino, Chris Daughtry, and Melinda Doolittle. Sorry, no Adam Lambert.

Anyway, Emily Anne Reed has got a very unique voice that is jazzy enough to warrant my support throughout the upcoming American Idol season. She sings in a band called Emily Anne's Delights, which you can find more about here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emily-Annes-Delights/241109978206. Although originally from Arlington, Virginia, Reed auditioned for American Idol in San Francisco by singing Harry Warren's "You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me," and later "Honey Babe Blues." She does not begin singing until about a minute into the video. Here it is:

Because American Idol is scheduled to air 1-2 nights during the next few months, I'll sporadically update on Reed's progress on the show, assuming she stays on for some time.

New Album of the Week: I Feel You by Herb Alpert & Lani Hall

Released 02.08.11

(http://www.amazon.com/)

Hey, it's Valentine's Day. I think this swing jazz album is the most appropriate for the occasion. It's not blues by any means, but it's still decent music. My recommended sample track would be the opener, "Moondance," because it was one of the first jazz songs I ever listened to. And, if it makes any difference, Alpert and Hall have been married for over 36 years.

Congratulations to Grammy winners...
Jeff Beck (Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Hammerhead"), Pinetop Perkins & Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Best Traditional Blues Album for Joined at the Hip), and Buddy Guy (Best Contemporary Blues Album for Living Proof).

Go Zac Go

Zac Harmon is good. Growing up in the heart of Jackson, Mississippi, on the legendary, blues-packed district of Farish Street, Zac knows a little about the relatively sad genre. More than just knowing about it, he lives blues music and has an understanding of the sound, most evident on his albums From The Root (2009), Blues According To Zacariah (2005), and Live at Babe and Ricky's Inn (2002). Harmon's music has a refreshing, true blues feel. Even though his career has been severely underrated, nothing seems to stop him from blasting out the blues. See for yourself:

After finding out about Zac's origin in one of blues music's most favorite cities, I decided to look up some more places famous for the blues, and this is what I found:

01. Africa
According to Africa and the Blues by Gerhard Kubik, blues music in its earliest, simplest state came from Africa. Later on, blues music evolved from African American work songs.

02. Nashville
Boasting the title of "Music City," it's apparent that Nashville has country in a stronghold. However, blues music seems to have popularity here too.

03. Memphis
Just down the road west of Nashville is Memphis, which has a Beale Street full of music, and blues is no exception.

04. South Texas
Home of Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Alamo, this is one tough place. It still makes for good blues music though.

05. Clarksdale, Mississippi and Tutwiler, Mississippi
Centers for what is known as the "Delta blues," Clarksdale and Tutwiler have a rich history in the genre; Clarksdale was even the site of famous blues singer Bessie Smith's death. There is a variety of things to see and do in the tourist traps, most notably embarking on The Mississippi Blues Trail.

06. New Orleans
The Big Easy should be an easy one to figure out. It has some of the best music in the world, including jazz. Although slightly less famous for being a marker of blues music, Nawlins is so jammed with music no one would ever know or care that jazz was technically there first.

07. Chicago
Blues music migrated to Chicago around the 1950s. Jazz music was there beforehand, so it was only a matter of time that blues showed up.

08. Detroit
Sure, Motor City's probably more notable for the phenomenon known as Motown, taken from Motown Records. But, blues guy John Lee Hooker spent most of his time in Detroit and had a significant influence there, so I think it's safe to say blues is pretty important in Detroit.

09. St. Louis
St. Louis is like another New Orleans - it has a lot of blues, jazz, and Chuck Berry. Well, New Orleans doesn't have a lot of Chuck Berry, but they do have Mardi Gras so I'm sure it all evens out somehow.

10. North Dakota
I believe we've had a blues singer or two come through North Dakota at some point in time. There is what's known as the Fargo Blues Festival, a 2-day blues lollapalooza held in July each year at the Newman Outdoor Field. It's something to look into if you're tired of riding the Scheels wheel. http://www.fargobluesfest.com/
Artist of the Week: Zac Harmon
(image taken from google.com)
Zac Harmon is the artist of the week. You can keep reading this unnecessary rambling about him or you can just refer to the paragraphs above. Still bored enough to keep going? Okay. If you're still reading this, you're most likely wasting your time, because I have nothing more to say about Zac Harmon. Therefore, you will not be getting any more information about him and these past few seconds have been taken from your life forever. Think of all the things you could've accomplished while reading the previous sentences. You could've spent that precious time discovering the cure for cancer, going for a walk, playing Black Ops, rewatching the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl, buying an island in the Bahamas, calling your grandma, learning a new language, driving across the ocean, practicing for The Biggest Loser, traveling to Zimbabwe, reading a book, meeting with a Jehovah's Witness, not meeting with a Jehovah's Witness, thinking of new Chuck Norris facts, practicing the guitar, listening to blues music, and that's about it. Yeah, I'd say that's about it.

New Album of the Week: Last Train Home by Foghat
Released 03.08.11
(image taken from amazon.com)
Foghat! Need I say more? Of course this album has to be good. Although they're not your traditional blues music aficiandos, Foghat has got a pretty solid record, Last Train Home, set to be released on February 8, 2011. Don't worry. The sound does not stray away from blues. Sure, it's blues-rock. But it's blues nonetheless. After looking up some Foghat history, I learned that the slow riders actually started out as a rock band intertwined with blues. So I think listeners can trust that Foghat knows what it's doing. My recommended tracks are, naturally, all of them. But my recommended tracks that are especially important are: "Born for the Road," "It Hurts Me Too," "Louisiana Blues," and "Good Good Day."