‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ composer Branford Marsalis says blues legend Rainey commanded attention | Motion pictures

Blues greats pick great blues videos

For a lot of, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” could shoot straight to the top of the (brief) list of most loved movies about the blues. We questioned some St. Louis blues artists about their favorites.

Minor Dylan, blues performer

“Bessie,” 2015 HBO biopic starring Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith • “I imagined they were truly dependable with ‘Bessie.’ I definitely appreciated that motion picture in every single aspect. The acting was really great, and the character advancement Queen Latifah went by, it showed.”

Marquise Knox, blues performer

“The Lifestyle of Riley,” 2014 documentary about B.B. King • “We’ve read so a lot about the blues becoming this and staying that and about the fellas being great and all of this, but we by no means get the prospect to see them as ourselves. B.B. had a level in there that I would not have put in there, but it designed me wanna be authentic with myself. He mentioned, ‘I’m a womanizer’ and demonstrates pictures of girls and what went down in his lifestyle. That was humbling. It was the 1st time a bluesman expressed himself in a way that didn’t make himself audio flashy. And he talked about his mother, who died younger. She experienced diabetic issues. I’m paraphrasing, but he talked about how it killed her and pointed again to himself and explained now it’s killing her newborn.”

Ms. Hy-C, blues performer 

“Cadillac Information,” 2008 biopic starring Adrian Brody as history govt Leonard Chess (with Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Quick, Gabrielle Union, Beyoncé) • “I like it due to the fact it was able to consider me again in the days just before my time. It was telling a real-existence story of how the new music industry utilized to be. Which is what I received out of it. I loved the singing and the prospect to see the professionals and drawbacks of how the organization is. I could relate to that a little little bit.”

Jeremy Segel-Moss, blues performer, St. Louis Blues Society president 

“Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll,” 1987 documentary filmed at Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday celebration at the Fox Theatre • “I know which a single I like the the very least. I know I would ship ‘Crossroads’ again to the reducing table. … But my beloved documentary is ‘Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll.’ I can view Johnnie Johnson enjoy all working day very long. It’s a real St. Louis tale. I’d view that several times.”

Jeremiah Johnson, blues performer

“Crossroads,” 1986 drama impressed by Robert Johnson (starring Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca, Jamie Gertz, Steve Vai) “The Blues Brothers,” 1980 comedy (starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Taxi Calloway, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin) • “Basically, when ‘Crossroads’ arrived out, I was studying to perform guitar at the time. It definitely influenced me to engage in blues tunes. It had phenomenal blues players in it. Also, the primary ‘The Blues Brothers’ created me sense actually content and optimistic about the blues in typical and launched me to a lot of people today I didn’t know. As the movie progresses, my father would say ‘that’s so-and-so, that’s so-and-so,’ and I can try to remember imagining ‘that’s outstanding.’”

Roland Johnson, blues performer

“Crossroads,” 1986 • “It was a very good time. I appreciated it, especially the transfer of the guitars, the struggle they had going on more than who was the baddest.”

Alonzo Townsend, Townsendx3 Company founder, son of Henry Townsend

“Hellhounds on My Trail,” 2000 documentary about Robert Johnson • “It not only experienced my father in it, but it’s a who’s who of legacy musicians from the Delta, telling their stories. Hollywood movies have not carried out a excellent career telling what the blues is and what it signifies.”

‘Big Mike’ Aguirre, blues performer

“Wattstax,” 1973 documentary about Stax Records’ Watts Summer season Competition • “Between performances by all of the notable artists on my beloved American label at the time and the social and historic written content of the celebration and production by itself, not to mention observing the seamless conversation between the performers onstage and the audience, this is No. 1 in my reserve. Tiny Milton’s ‘Walking the Backstreets and Crying’ seals the offer.”