In many ways this movie is director Robert Elfstrom's response to Don't Look Back. Like that film, this documentary follows its subject with a camera and simply shows what he does on and offstage. The biggest difference the difference between Johnny Cash at this time and Bob Dylan at the time of Don't Look Back. Bob was tired of constantly being asked questions about the deep meaning of his songs and being viewed as a voice of a generation. He simply wanted to play music and be left alone when he wasn't. Because of this he developed a snarky persona that is present through the whole film. Johnny Cash on the other hand was at one of the happiest moments of life. After years of drug abuse and erratic behavior tearing away everyone who loved him, he had turned back to God and found peace and comfort there. The Johnny Cash we see here is very different from the one we would have seen a couple years earlier. We see him at peace and enjoying his soundings and what he is doing. As such this is a far more tranquil movie with a completely different appeal than Don't Look Back despite very similar filmmaking styles. We see Johnny help out a new coming singer, enjoy the company of his fans, hike in nature, stand up for social causes and play music.
Of course the music here is fantastic. Unlike Don't Look Back, we get to see the whole songs being performed here, which is a delight. This was John at the peak of his career and he has never sounded better. As well as Johnny we get to see him perform a duet with (appropriately) Bob Dylan as well as a brief performance by rock and roll great Carl Perkins (who by this time had become a regular part of John's live performances) with his biggest hit, Blue Suede Shoes.
John got along well with director Robert Elfstorm and when he produced the movie Gospel Road (1973), he picked Robert as the director.
This may not quite measure up to Don't Look Back, but is a very enjoyable movie in its own right.
This movie is a very touching and human account of the great jazz pianist. Those who know much about Thelonious Monk will no that he had some mental problems that affected his life greatly. This is always a touchy subject for movies (documentaries included) because they have a tendency to let the disabilities become the person. This film does an incredible job about talking rather in depth about his disabilities while still showing that while they affected him they did not define him. Much of the heart of this film comes from interviews with the musician's friends and family. They speak about him with so much love that it is hard for us not to love him as well. Fellow musicians who spoke in this movie were so in awe of the man's musical talent that this film can give even jazz fans a new perspective on this great artist.
This film is also a sheer joy for jazz fans with so many rare clips of the great artist both on and off stage. These clips are an important part of jazz history that might have been lost to time if it wasn't for this movie. We also get to hear a lot of his music and all of it is excellent. This will make fans of newcomers and will delight long time fans.
Jazz on A Summer's Day is one of the earliest concert films and one of the best. This movie provides all one could wish for from a film like this, provided a great look at the 1958 Newport Jazz festival. Of course most important to this type of movie is the music and that is fantastic here. The line up of artists is fantastic. Included are Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Big Maybelle, Chico Hamilton and Mahalia Jackson. All of them are at the top of their game here. Watching Louis Armstrong continue showing that he was one of the world's great entertainers (as he did in many movies) is a pure delight. He and trombonist Jack Teagarden have incredible chemistry and it is a joy to watch them together. Though Monk is in the film only briefly his music leaves quite an impression. Chico Hamilton and Gerry Mulligan show that this type of jazz is just as great today as it was then. Chuck Berry gives his all and shows all the energy and fun that defined early rock and roll. There was no better way to end this movie than gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. If her singing doesn't move you nothing will. Her performance of The Lord's Prayer not only stops the show but glues your ears and eyes to the movie in a way free performers can. Time stands still and all there is are the words, music and her voice creating an incredible experience found in few concert films.
The way this movie is filmed is fascinating. Unlike many concert movies where the camera is always on the performers this film spends just as much if not more time looking at the audience. It is often times just as much fun watching the audience as it is the performers. When you think of jazz in movies, you often think of a dark film noir type setting as well as dark and shady characters. Instead what we get here is a bright summer's day in a nice upscale looking place and a crowd of people who look like they are at a church service. They are mostly a restrained crowd but one that is heavily enjoying the music. Watching the crowd when Chuck Berry is performing is watching musical and cultural history happening. The younger audience members, who are restrained through much of the film are dancing and having tons of fun with the still new rock and roll. Meanwhile the older attendees (who probably came to hear jazz music) are cold and unemotional to this new fangled genre. As well as the scenes with the audience watching the performances, there also scenes simply showing the attendees having wholesome fun, when there are no artists on stage. This makes the movie more appealing today as it becomes a nostalgic time capsule of a time that is very different from how we live today.
If you are a film fan, if you are a music fan or if you are both, this movie is a must watch.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of cowboy church.
Today's musical selection begins with Gene Autry singing Dear Hearts and Gentle People in a clip from the movie, Beyond The Purple Hills (1950), While this isn't exactly a gospel song it does include the line "They read the good book from Fri. 'till Monday." Next comes Hank Williams singing Gathering Flowers for the Master Bouquet from a 1951 episode of the Mother's Best radio show. The song was originally written by Marvin Baumgardner for the 1940 hymnal, Golden Key. At this time the song was already familiar to country music fans as The Maddox Brothers & Rose recorded it in 1948 and Kitty Wells recorded it the same year. In 1949 The Stanley Brothers recorded the song. It is hard to no which one of these (if any of these) recordings inspired Hank to record this song. This is followed by Kitty Wells singing Mathew 24. Next is The Louvin Brothers with Weapon of Prayer. Don't let this world fool you, we are constantly engaged in spiritual warfare. However God has given us many ways to fight the temptation that Satan heaps upon us. One of these is prayer. Prayer keeps on mind on God and gives us the strength to fight and press on. Remember this as you listen to Louvin Brothers perform this wonderful song. On the theme of prayer, Roy Rogers will keep today's music going on with A Cowboy's Sunday Prayer. This comes from his (and his wife Dale's) 1959 album, Jesus Loves Me. This is followed by The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of Lead Me Gently Home Father. The band had recorded this song before in 1937 and I personally love both versions. Afterwards is The Charlie Daniels Band with Tribulation from their 1996 Christian album, Steel Witness. Today's musical selection ends with The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis singing the gospel classic, The Lilly of the Valley.
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. John 14:21-24
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. 2 Timothy 1:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. Proverbs 11:17
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. Proverbs 4:26-27
Thank you for joining me come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you.
In Canada in 1970, a brand new type of music festival was created. It was one that would not be tried again and remains a unique and exciting idea. This idea was to have many great music artists travel a country by train, performing at the places where the train stopped. This great documentary tells the story of that tour.
The music in this movie is in many ways not surprisingly the highlight. Janis Joplin in particular is an artist that is just as fun to watch perform as she is to listen to. Her performance of Tell Mama is incredible. Her voice not only sounds amazing but she knows how to perfectly command the stage. What she gives us here is pure and utter rock and roll at its finest. After reviewing The Last Waltz (1978) earlier in this summer concert series, it is great to get a bit of a different view of The Band here. There was a polish and perfection to The Last Waltz that is not here, but what is in its place is a rougher edge more rootsy sound that is just as great in its own way. The Grateful Dead seem to be the main stars of this movie and they are at the top of their game here. The Flying Burrito Brothers appear much to briefly but are excellent. Buddy Guy was so good, he left me wanting more of him in this movie. The one part of the music that didn't work for me was Sha-Na-Na. I am not a fan and they still didn't impress me here
The story is extremely interesting and tells a great story about the history of rock music that is often overlooked. We get to hear the people who organized the concert as well as the performers talk about the tour and it is a joy to listen to. The scenes of the artists on the train jamming out are a sheer delight for fans of rock and roll.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's selection begins with one of the great Mickey, Donald and Goofy cartoons, Mickey's Trailer (1938). Like many of these shorts the storyline is simplistic, but the execution is very elaborate and funny. The result is thrill comedy at its best. Motion Picture Daily proved that their Disney knowledge was not perfect when they stated in a review, "Mickey, Donald Duck and Horace Horsecollar embark on a trailer." To many Disney fans it may seem shocking to see Goofy referred to as Horace Horsecollar, but until fairly recently Horace had been a much more prominent Disney character than Goofy. Horace wasn't the only character Goofy was confused for at this time, as you can tell by the following exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Daily, "MICKEY'S TRAILER: Walt Disney Cartoons—The usual antics of the famous trio, but Donald Duck and Pluto, the dog, steal the whole show. Running time 9 minutes. - R.W. Crickmore, Rainbow Theatre, Newpost, Wash. General Patronage." Interestingly the following exhibitors review comes from a 1939 issue of The Motion Picture Herald, just one year after the cartoon originally premiered, "MICKEY'S TRAILER: Walt Disney Cartoons— Quite old but it is still a dandy. If you haven't used it pick it up for they'll like it fine. Running time, eight minutes.—Den Bloxham, Palace Theatre, Exira, Iowa. General and Rural Patronage."
Next comes one of Columbia's delightful Fox and the Crow cartoons, Woodman Spare That Tree (1942). The title comes from a poem written by George Pope Morris in 1830. That poem would later become a song when in 1837 Henry Russell (who also set A Life on the Ocean Wave by Epes Sargent to music). A excerpt is performed by the Fox and the Crow in this movie. The film was reissued to movie theatres in 1956.
Next is the last cartoon for your friend and mine Scrappy. The film is The Little Theatre (1941), and Scrappy makes sure he puts on quite a performance before leaving the movies. While not as weird as Scrappy's best movies (though there are two delightfully weird gags), this cartoon ends his career on a rather enjoyable note. Appropriately Scrappy ends the film by taking a bow.
I have really been enjoying the Anthony's Animation Talk YouTube channel. This channel is made up of audio commentaries on various Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. Here is a sample.
Thank you for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. May all your tunes be looney and your melodies merrie.
Robert Johnson is one of the most fascinating figures in American music. His music itself is mysterious and defies explanations and for a long time his life was just as mysterious. Little facts were known and myths as mysterious as the man's music began to pop up. The most famous of these is that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil for incredible musical talent, a myth that seems to be supported by lyrics to songs like Me and the Devil Blues. This fascinating documentary not only addresses these myths, but also talks about how Johnson changed the blues and was a forerunner to rock and roll. Incredible musicians like Keith Richards and Keb Mo' talk about Johnson's music with incredible reverence. However where this movie really succeeds is when it discusses these myths. I will admit before seeing this film I knew Robert's music but not much about his life. What I heard here was completely fascinating and new to me. This movie gives a great insight into this brilliant musicians strange life while still keeping an aura of mystery around it creating a fascinating and one of a kind documentary.
