Search - Various Artists :: Martin Scorsese Presents Red, White and Blues

Enjoyable cross section of British blues and influences

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 02/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I finally managed some time to watch one of the Scorcese series on the Blues, namely Red White & Blues, to compare the content with the soundtrack. The film (and soundtrack) was titled not due to the colours of the English flag but because of a group called the Red White and Blues Band, led by Bryan Ferry, who made quite an impression on the film's director Mike Figgis.Jazz's influence on blues in England is shown with a live performance of Louis Armstrong's "Back O' Town Blues" with some commentary from Armstrong. That's Jack Teagarden on trombone. Miles Davis's "Generique" is also included here to that effect, although it didn't feature in the movie.Big Bill Broonzy was mentioned but none of his music played, and "Black, Brown, and White Blues" is on the racism in job hiring, wage rate, and being denied service: "if you's white, you's all right/if you was brown, stick around/but as you black, oh brother, get back get back." It's a nice piece of country blues that the Brits really got into. Ditto for guitar/vocalist Sister Rosetta Tharpe who shares vocal duties with Marie Knight in the gospel blues of "Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air."The influence that blues had on skiffle, a garage-type DIY, one-chord guitar and washboard folk craze that hit England in the late 50's, is exemplified by Lonnie Donegan's cover of Lead Belly's "Rock Island Line" including the spoken intro explaining what the line is.Of the songs issued for the first time, three artists stand out: Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, and Lulu. Not all the songs came out in the film, including the one I was hoping would be featured. It's Lulu's cover of Julie London's 50's ballad "Cry Me A River" with accompaniment by Beck, done with the same quiet melancholy piano arrangements and a nice sax solo by Peter King. After hearing her soulful rendition of "Drown In My Own Tears," it was clear that her voice has matured and become better with age. Tom Jones and Jeff Beck get together on two songs, including "Goin' Down Slow", a cover of Ray Charles' "Hard Times" and Jones' let's it rip with that robust voice of his. A great example of Beck's guitar virtuosity is shown on "Rollin' & Tumblin'" and Tom Jones does Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy."Trumpeter Humphrey Lyttleton's instrumental "Bad Penny Blues" has the bouncing rolling Fats Domino-type piano courtesy of Johnny Parker that the Beatles later appropriated for "Lady Madonna." So that's where they got it!Chris Farlowe, a.k.a. Little Joe Cook, covered T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday Blues Parts 1 & 2," which was a hit for him, and even some black people mistook him for someone black, so true and feeling was his rendition. This was in the movie.The impact it had on better known artists/groups such as Steve Winwood, Mick Fleetwood, Eric Clapton, and John Mayall is represented by the Spencer Davis Group's "Hey Darlin'", Fleetwood Mac's rollicking cover of Elmore James' "Shake Your Money Maker" originally on their first album, the group that Peter Green and John McVie were first with, the Bluesbreakers on "Have You Heard", and Cream's live version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" orig. on Wheels On Fire.The soundtrack has some music that didn't even come out in the movie in vice-versa, but its selections properly emphasize the British role in spreading white electric blues, which in turn gave the attention to the original artists that they so richly deserved."

Jones & Beck in top form!

Richard Judice | New Jersey | 01/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I watched the special and thought it was great but I think the CD complilation is even better since you get to hear the complete songs not just excerpts. For anyone who loved the British Blues scene of the 60's this is one CD you must add to your collection. The combination of Jeff Beck & Tom Jones on 4 tracks is worth the price of the CD alone. These two guys are just wonderful together. Maybe Van Morrison's contribution (though great)is missing because Van wouldn't give his permission to included it?"