I Am the Blues

Directed by Daniel Cross
Film Movement
2015
106 Minutes
USA, Canada
English
Documentary, Music, Black Cinema
American Studies, Southern Studies, History, Music, Black Studies
Not Rated
DVD $29.95
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PPR $200.00
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DRL $499.00
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PPR+DRL $599.00
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I AM THE BLUES takes the audience on a musical journey through the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou, the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta and Moonshine soaked BBQs in the North Mississippi Hill Country. The film visits blues musicians rooted in the genre's heyday, many in their 80s, still living in the American deep south and touring the Chitlin' Circuit. Let Bobby Rush, Barbara Lynn, Henry Gray, Carol Fran, Little Freddie King, Lazy Lester, Bilbo Walker, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, RL Boyce, LC Ulmer, Lil' Buck Sinegal and their friends awaken the blues in all of us.

"Recommended" - Video Librarian "'I Am the Blues' is a look at Southern blues today with players from the last 50 years, but it’s not intended to be a comprehensive survey of blues history. The musicians in this film are primarily in their 70s and 80s, performing here solo, in duos and combos on porches, at roadhouses, in living rooms, and at barbecues and crawfish boils. They show off licks, cook, fish, and drink beer and whiskey. They reminisce about their music and instruments, careers, other musicians, and life on and off the road. Their playing belies their years with masterful skill on guitar, harmonica, and piano... Ira 'Dr Ike' Padnos, organizer of the every-other-year New Orleans-based Ponderosa Stomp and tireless revivalist of blues and related styles, is a creative consultant. There are thirty minutes of outtakes, some with artists not seen in the film, like the late Allen Toussaint." - Jim Hobbs, EMRO. Highly Recommended.

Cast

  • Bobby Rush
  • Barbara Lynn
  • Henry Gray
  • Jimmy "Duck" Holmes
  • Lil' Buck Sinegal
  • Lazy Lester
  • Carol Fran
  • LC Ulmer
  • Little Freddy King
DVD Features

30 Minutes of Bonus Footage

Sound: Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound

Discs: 1

  • Highest Rating
    "I Am the Blues is a lovely film, made with a light, respectful touch. "
    Marc Glassman, Point of View Magazine
  • Highest Rating
    "Heartache never sounded so good."
    Chris Knight, National Post
  • Highest Rating
    "Director Daniel cross goes deep into the Deep South blues scene with this terrific documentary. One of the most striking aspects of the film is how beautifully shot it often is."
    Robert Whitehead, VultureHound

Gallery

Awards & Recognition

Official Selection
SXSW Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Hot Docs Int'l. Documentary Film Festival
Official Selection
IDFA Festival
Official Selection
Raindance Film Festival

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