The second film, tentatively titled Chess, is directed by Jerry Zaks, best known for his Tony-winning work on Broadway ( House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation), and though the films cover overlapping territory, Cadillac Records can claim bigger star power. Written and directed by Darnell Martin ( I Like It Like That, Their Eyes Were Watching God) and produced by the film division of record label Sony BMG, Cadillac Records is actually one of two movies filmed this year that depict the rise of the Chicago blues and its musical spawn-rock ’n’ roll and soul-via the lives and loves of the black artists and white record men at one of the most innovative and influential independent labels in modern music history: Chicago-based Chess Records, home to not only Berry but also Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and dozens more. The scene is one of the last to be shot for a film called Cadillac Records, slated to hit cineplexes in the coming months. But this imposed order soon turns to chaos when one particularly enthusiastic white teen near the front of the crowd knocks over part of the barrier (as per the script) and the crowd, whipped into a joyous frenzy by the music and its performer’s snake-hipped showmanship, surges together-blacks and whites mixing and then, scandalously, dancing together to the revolutionary strains of early rock ’n’ roll. Separated by skin color and a double row of velvet-rope-linked brass stanchions, they are meant to represent a concert audience, presumably somewhere in the South in mid-50s pre-civil-rights America. ![]() Regally turned out in a maroon-and-black brocade jacket, black button-down shirt, black pants, and a prosthetic pompadour that resembles the brilliantined prow of a cruise ship, Def swivels his narrow hips, bobs his glossy head, and duckwalks across the stage while mock-playing a blond, wide-body 1950 Gibson ES350 to the familiar start-and-stop cadence of Berry’s “No Particular Place to Go.”Īt the foot of the stage, approximately 250 extras dressed in 1950s fashions-bobby socks, saddle shoes, penny loafers, and sweaters-move politely to the music in two distinct groups. In the auditorium of the Create Charter High School-a room that looks as if it hasn’t been touched since Ike was president-Def (real name: Dante Terrell Smith) glides about the stage channeling rock ’n’ roll’s most influential forefather, Chuck Berry, and doing a pretty spooky job of it. I do, nevertheless, highly recommend this film and would rate it a 3 on a zero to 4 star scale.On a movie set in Jersey City, I am watching the actor and hip-hop artist Mos Def play the part of Chuck Berry in what might be described as a music-history mash-up. Ralph Bass, who was not in the film, not Cress produced Etta James' recording sessions and Cress Record mainstays Bo Didley and John Lee Hooker were missing from the film. Why did they not have Chuck Berry sing his great hit songs such as "roll over Beethoven," "School Days," "Sweet Little 16," "Rock 'N' Roll Music," "Back in the USA" or "Johnny B Goode"? Also, Leonard Cress never, according to famed music critic George Varga, had an affair with Etta James, and the degree to which Leonard Cress cheated and exploited his musicians was not dealt with. In the film Berry sang "Promised Land," a super song but a non hit that never made the top 40. Actually he recorded this hit record in 1962. ![]() They had Chuck Berry singing "No Particular Place to Go" at the beginning of his stardom in the mid 1950s. The intent and sincerity of the director and writer was superb, but this film was somewhat flawed with inconsistencies. Etta James at one time, believe it or not I checked this out, weighed over 400 pounds. I read that Beyonce' gained 15 pounds to play Etta James and weighed in at 135 pounds. I wish this film would have concentrated more on him. He wrote music and lyrics that will live forever, played a tremendous guitar (Rolling Stone Mag lists his as number 6th in their top 100 guitar players list) and sang real well. ![]() He is ranked by Rolling Stone Mag as the 5th greatest performer in its history. Chuck Berry was the greatest pioneer in Rock 'N' Roll history.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |