[Harp-L] Cadillac Records

["Trip Henderson" <trip.tunes@xxxxxxxxx>]

I seem to be a few beats behind on current threads - but that's the blues
baby, a little behind the beat!

So I went to see Cadillac Records last night at a theater in The Bronx -
mostly a black audience - we all really enjoyed the film!!!  Not a great
script, but great stories.  Who knew that Minnesota Fats was Etta James
father?  Casting was not great - how about Paul Giamatti as Leonard Chess
instead of Brody? Actors playing musicians rarely works and because of that
none of the old school guys (Muddy, Wolf, Walter...) really were well
represented. But I thought Mos Def and Beyonce were awesome.

Some things I appreciated:

* The depiction of the John Lomax scouting trip to Stovall's plantation with
pioneering African American field collector John W.Work from Fisk
University.
* The cameo by Hubert Sumiln next to the guy playing Hubert!!!
* The scar on Walter's forehead (from the police beating) shown when he was
in the coffin - have y'all ever seen that crazy photograph of Walter from
the Hate To See You Go LP?  That scar is nasty!!!
* On the occasion of Walter's death the actual recording of Walter singing
"...last night, I lost the best friend I ever had" - bone chillin!
* The women in the studio when the guys were cutting records.
* The mere fact that our heroes are being introduced to an entire generation
of folks that now have a clue who helped build Rock N' Roll.

It was no "Ray" or "Round Midnight" but well worth the 10 bucks!!

Trip
-- 

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