RE: [Harp-L] Cadillac Records - AMEN !

harmoniman@xxxxxxxxxxx · Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:44:06 +0000

Amen to all of these E-mails ! I was beginning to have my doubts about HARP-EL and the harmonica community in general. All of the nit- picking and micro analysis was making me sick !  There is a saying in the entertainment industry that states that any publicity is good publicity. That  also goes for a relatively obscure musical art form (blues) and an even more obscure instrument (the Harp) . Yea.... every one knows about the harmonica but when it comes to the PLAYERS ?  Adler, Levy, Lightfoot,Walter,Wilson, etc. aren't exactly household names. Any exposure is good exposure. Now, if we want an historically accurate blues/ harmonica documentary , may I suggest that we start a fund  on harp-l and produce a HARP-EL documentary. My working title is ' HARMONICA HEAVEN ' .

P.S. May you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous holiday and new year.

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Bradford Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 

> My daughter and her boy-friend took me to see the movie on Friday for my 
> birthday. 
> I loved the harp, would have loved more, liked the Howlin' Wolf character, 
> wasn't always with them on their attempts to draw too fine parallels with 
> Blues and gangster rap, but all in all, I thought it was pretty good. 
> I was particularly impressed with Beyonce's singing, and I cackled at the 
> little scene where Jagger meets Muddy Waters and is subsequently reckoned as 
> "skinny"... 
> Despite the film's weaknesses, as has been suggested here before, if it 
> sparks someone's interest in the harmonica, or even Chicago Blues, it's 
> worth what ever else. 
> Brad Trainham 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf 
> Of Mark Lavoie 
> Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 5:01 PM 
> To: Bill Hines; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Cadillac Records 
> 
> Bill, 
> Thank you! 
> 
> "Cadillac Records" is Great for the Blues. 
> 
> Having Kim Wilson's harmonica playing, being heard through out the film, is 
> the best exposure the harmonica has had in quite sometime. 
> 
> With Beyonce playing Etta James, it will be interesting, to see if her 
> demograhpic starts showing up at Blues Festivals, Blues Clubs and so on. 
> It is her generation that will keep this American Art form Alive! 
> Stay tuned! 
> Mark 
> 
> Mark Lavoie 
> 4849 Bristol Rd 
> Bristol, VT 05443 
> 
> 802-236-5665 
> http://www.deltagrooveproductions.com/music/artists/billsimmarlavoie/main.ht 
> ml 
> www.myspace.com/theharmonicaman 
> www.middlebury.net/lavoie 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Hines" 
> To: 
> Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 2:52 PM 
> Subject: [Harp-L] Cadillac Records 
> 
> 
> >I just got back from watching the film. I thoroughly enjoyed it and 
> > don't know what everyone else is getting all worked up about, other than 
> > to take the opportunity to demonstrate one's encyclopedic knowledge of 
> > the history of the blues, which is probably flawed and not factual 
> > anyway since as most legends and tales go, they get distorted over time. 
> > The old trick where you tell someone a story, then they recite it to 
> > someone else, and by the 4th person it's pretty messed up. 
> > 
> > Look, right at the beginning, in BIG BOLD words on the screen, it says 
> > "Based on a true story". Get the word BASED in there. Maybe they should 
> > have capitalized it. Plus if it would have been totally factual they 
> > would have had to introduce dozens more characters and make it much more 
> > complex and much longer and it would have been horrible. Try writing a 
> > two hour movie about the history of any genre of movie. You have to take 
> > shortcuts. 
> > 
> > Was it the best movie I ever saw? No. But I'm buying it on DVD and 
> > really enjoyed my two hours of relaxation and $6.50 spent. I never 
> > *ever* thought I'd be sitting there watching a major Hollywood movie 
> > about Muddy Waters, LITTLE WALTER (how pissed would you all have been if 
> > they left him out and they could have justifiably done so), Howlin' 
> > Wolf, Willie Dixon, and on and on. Up on the big screen. And a chance to 
> > once again introduce the "real blues" to the general public and 
> > harmonica and dispel the common conception of front porch twanging 
> > cryin' music (blues) and "oh suzanna" (harmonica). A hell of a lot of 
> > credit to whomever made this happen and for doing as good a job as they 
> > did in telling the story. 
> > 
> > AND to show a lot of people where their "rock and roll" came from. That 
> > the stones, beach boys, elvis, and others did not invent this. They took 
> > something that existed, something the loved, and morphed it. 
> > 
> > Why would anyone want to boycott that. The portrayal of Howling Wolf was 
> > amazing, as was Beyonce as Etta James, and I have to give Adrian Brody 
> > credit even though I think he's a total pompous ass. 
> > 
> > Bill 
> > _______________________________________________ 
> > Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
> > Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> > http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l 