Cerebral Palsy Blues(NaN)

T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s(en)

The 1920s saw a revolution in technology, the advent of the recording industry, that created the first class of African-American women to sing their way to fame and fortune. Blues divas such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Alberta Hunter created and promoted a working-class vision of blues life that provided an alternative to the Victorian gentility of middle-class manners. In their lives and music, blues women presented themselves as strong, independent women who lived hard lives and were unapologetic about their unconventional choices in clothes, recreational activities, and bed partners. Blues singers disseminated a Black feminism that celebrated emotional resilience and sexual pleasure, no matter the source.

Mind Over Matter(en)

A young man born with Cerebral Palsy battles a paralyzed left hand, bullies and stereotypes about the disabled to defy the odds and make it as a rock and roll guitarist. Ultimately, sharing the stage with the very band that inspired him to start (or to achieve the impossible).

Bluesman(cs)

Genghis Blues(en)

Blind blues musician Paul Pena is perhaps best known for his song "Jet Airliner". In 1993, Pena heard Tuvan throat singing over his shortwave radio and subsequently taught himself how to reproduce these extraordinary sounds. This documentary follows him to Tuva, where he takes part in a throat singing competition. Languages featured in the film include English, Russian and Tuvan.

Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away(en)

Chicago blues great Buddy Guy never was the same after he heard John Lee Hooker’s seminal “Boogie Chillun’” while growing up in his rural stomping grounds of Lettswork, Louisiana. In 1957 he set out for the Windy City and its vibrant blues scene, where he played his way into the clubs, cut records, befriended and gigged with other greats (Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush), forged his skillful, intense, wild persona, hit the road, influenced new generations of musicians (Mick, Keith, Eric, Stevie Ray Vaughan), performed at the Obama White House and collected nine Grammys along the way. Supported by a sumptuous assemblage of performance footage, testimonials from those he’s inspired (including Clapton, Carlos Santana, Gary Clark Jr., and John Mayer) and some classic blues licks, Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away finds Guy (now a young 84) looking back at his life, providing valuable insight into his music while leaving room for some memorable anecdotes.

The Howlin' Wolf Story: The Secret History of Rock & Roll(en)

Arguably second only to Muddy Waters among the Mississippi Delta singers who traveled north and pioneered urban electric blues (their supposed rivalry is the subject of one of this DVD's bonus features), Wolf was a big, imposing man with an inimitable, booming voice and a lasting influence on generations of rock & rollers--all of which comes across in the 90-minute film.

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story(en)

Boogie Man is a comprehensive look at political strategist, racist, and former Republican National Convention Committee chairman, Lee Atwater, who reinvigorated the Republican Party’s Southern Strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans. He mentored Karl Rove and George W. Bush and played a key role in the elections of Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

The Blues Under the Skin(fr)

Blurring the line between documentary and fiction, THE BLUES UNDER THE SKIN dramatizes the tumultuous relationship of a young couple (Onike Lee and Roland Sanchez) as they struggle to overcome the barriers of poverty and prejudice that keep them from finding happiness together.

Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland(en)

Originally produced in 1997 as part of the Classic Albums television series, this newly edited, expanded edition features almost 40 minutes of additional content not see in the original feature. Bassist Noel Redding, drummer Mitch Mitchell and co-manager Chas Chandler detailed their contributions while engineer Eddie Kramer re-examined the many multi-track tapes created during the sessions. Help from Jimi's `friends and passengers' came by way of new interviews with drummer Buddy Miles, Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady, Traffic's Dave Mason and Steve Winwood, among others.

Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music(en)

Blues as a genre shaped the sound of jazz in the early 20th century and directly led to the creation of rock 'n' roll in the '50s. The scales, chords, and progressions of blues as a musical form can be found in styles from jazz to rock to contemporary R&B.

The Soul of a Man(en)

In "The Soul of A Man," director Wim Wenders looks at the dramatic tension in the blues between the sacred and the profane by exploring the music and lives of three of his favorite blues artists: Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J. B. Lenoir. Part history, part personal pilgrimage, the film tells the story of these lives in music through an extended fictional film sequence (recreations of '20s and '30s events - shot in silent-film, hand-crank style), rare archival footage, present-day documentary scenes and covers of their songs by contemporary musicians such as Shemekia Copeland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Garland Jeffreys, Chris Thomas King, Cassandra Wilson, Nick Cave, Los Lobos, Eagle Eye Cherry, Vernon Reid, James "Blood" Ulmer, Lou Reed, Bonnie Raitt, Marc Ribot, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Lucinda Williams and T-Bone Burnett.

Piano Blues(en)

Director — and piano player — Clint Eastwood explores his life-long passion for piano blues, using a treasure trove of rare historical footage in addition to interviews and performances by such living legends as Pinetop Perkins and Jay McShann, as well as Dave Brubeck and Marcia Ball.

John Mayer: Someday I'll Fly(en)

John Mayer: Someday I'll Fly chronicles the musical evolution of one of the most influential solo artists of his generation. Featuring rare demos, interviews and live performances; it is told in it's entirety from Mayer's perspective. Centered mostly on his career and professional accomplishments, Someday I'll Fly strips away the typical gossip surrounding Mayer to provide an intimate look at the life and career of a lauded musician.

ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads(en)

Robert Johnson was one of the most influential blues guitarists ever. Even before his early death, fans wondered if he'd made a pact with the Devil.

Blues on Beale(en)

Experience 5 days of rocking, crowd pumping Blues competition packed with passion, music, and suspense. Discover the people who keep The Blues alive and the powerful international impact of America’s musical gift to the world.

Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert(en)

In Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua is a live concert film featuring performances by the British rock musician Eric Clapton and invited friends, such as David Sanborn, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige and Bob Dylan.[citation needed] The DVD and VHS releases hit the market on 26 October 1999 under license of Warner Bros. Records. The concert tickets revenue was donated to the Crossroads Centre Foundation. It was the first Crossroads Guitar Festival, although titled differently at the time.[1] The release reached various national charts and sold more than 225,000 copies worldwide.

Fats Domino and The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll(en)

One of the most popular rockers of the 1950s and early 60s, Fats Domino and his record sales were rivaled then only by Elvis Presley. With his boogie-woogie piano playing rooted in blues, rhythm & blues, and jazz, he became one of the inventors, along with Presley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, of rock ‘n’ roll, a revolutionary genre that united young black and white audiences.

Bonnie Blue: James Cotton's Life in the Blues(en)

The story of James Cotton, harmonica powerhouse, whose music shaped blues and rock. Orphaned at 9, Cotton’s life tracks America’s history—from the post-depression cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to being mentored by the original Delta bluesmen, to Chicagoland’s artistic reinvention to the live music scene in Austin, Texas.

The Way Without Limits(es)

The Way of Saint James, northern Spain, 2016. Two brothers, Oliver, the eldest, and Juan Luis, the youngest, a disabled person in a wheelchair, face the hardest challenge they have found so far on their long road of dirt, stones, rain and cold. Everyone says they will not make it, but, fortunately, they are not alone.

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)(en)

During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America's history lost — until now.