As an extension of Bluebird's "When The Sun Goes Down" reissue series (now at 9 CD's worth) Bluebird is branching into video with this 90 minute "directors cut" documentary on the great Chicago bluesman and force of nature Chester Burnett, aka Howling Wolf. Director Don McGlynn is probably best known for his films on Charlie Mingus ("TRIUMPH OF THE UNDERDOG ") and Louis Prima, here he's put together a masterful look at the life and times of one of the seminal blues giants.
Wolf spent his early years farming in Mississippi and when he began playing later on, he became a popular fixture in the Delta/West Memphis scene, with his own radio shows, and early recordings for Sam Phillips. One of his first sides was leased to Chess, it's success caused him to move to Chi, as the movie points out, driving his own car and with serious money in his pocket. He went on to become a staple on the southside club scene and one of Chess Records best selling artists. Later in life he was a hit on the festival circuit and toured as part of the American Folk Blues Festival (AFBF) in Europe in 1964, as well as recording in England with people like Eric Clapton. He died as a result of kidney and heart problems in 1976.
This film is both improved and expanded over the version that had rather limited showings at festivals last season. Among the major players McGlynn has interviewed are Wolf's adopted son and lead guitarist Hubert Sumlin, Wolf's daughters, record producers Marshall Chess and Dick Shurman, as well as Wolf biographer Mark Hoffman (look for his book next April). Sumlin is a real delight, as he recounts his stories with obvious relish, and plays trademark riffs on his guitar to illustrate.
There's a fair amount of period film of track-lining crews and southern highways, as well as Sam Lay's fabled silent footage shot inside blues clubs in the 60's, but of course what really matters is Wolf in performance. The bulk of the song material comes from three numbers shot by Alan Lomax,
off-stage at the Newport Folk Festival in 1966. Lomax rented out an area bar, stocked it with whiskey, and brought in Bukka White, Son House and Skip James, and mountain banjoist Doc Boggs to do interviews and performances. Besides the soloists-he also filmed Wolf and his 4 piece band, including guitarist Sumlin. You may think you already have this footage (all 3 tunes filmed that day-"Dust My Broom", "How Many More Years" & "Meet Me In The Bottom"-- have previously appeared on DEVIL GOT MY WOMAN/BLUES AT NEWPORT-Vastapool VHS 13049), but believe me you don't-the versions here are so much improved as to be virtually a whole new look. McGlynn found film from a 2nd camera, which means instead of the earlier mostly close-up shots of Wolf you now get to see the band and audience as well. Much more importantly, he also found pieces of a better audio track. Some painstaking restoration work ensued, and instead of just the vocals and the monotone sax of Sam James, the whole band is now audible-resulting in an increase in power and effectiveness. Tunes that seemed a bit plodding before now crackle with energy and power. "Years" has been truncated a bit, the previous 7:00 version repeated several verses, the 3:50 edit here is focused and tight.
Additional performance footage comes from a 1964 German TV show on the AFBF tour --"Shake For Me" (with Sumlin and Sunnyland Slim), and an abbreviated version (2:45) of the Stones introducing Wolf to the "Shindig" TV audience, with him doing "How Many More Years" before a bevy of pony-tailed, stool-sitting-and-shimmying go-go dancers while he sweats and gyrates-a truly surreal broadcast moment. Theres also an unreleased clip of Wolf encouraging/jiving Bukka White at a Newport lodging while Bukka plays for a small group.
The ad copy does get a bit "over emphatic" however; "Smokestack Lightning", "Going Down Slow" and "Little Red Rooster" are called performances, while in fact they're audio tracks with clips of trains, highways, southside Els etc seen onscreen. "I Am The Wolf" is also listed, it doesnt appear here at all.
There's almost half an hour of bonus material which includes outtakes of Lay 's club footage featuring Wolf (with brief glimpses of Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson), an almost 14 minute section of interviews with various subjects commenting on the rivalry between Wolf & Muddy, a 5:40 interview section with Lay detailing why he left Wolf's band the first time (guns were drawn), and a FM broadcast--a 4+ minute live version of "Rooster" from Ebbets Field in Denver, in August of 1973, illustrated with some great black and white on-stage still shots of Wolf & Sumlin at the Ann Arbor Blues fest.
Wolf comes across as a multi-faceted man. As a performer he could clown ala Charlie Patton, bawdily licking his guitar neck, or crawl the stage on all fours while howling. He also was a responsible businessman, taking night school guitar lessons and paying his band social security. On top of that he sang with a almost scary intensity-it wasn't just his size that enabled him to dominate any space he was in. All in all, the documentary does a good job of covering the life and times of a founding father, and gives him the respect and standing he deserves. Lets hope further "Sundown" releases live up to this standard.
http://www.bluebirdjazz.com/ecards/howlinwolf/ecard2.html
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