by Sandy | Jan 5, 2023 | Art, Artist, Blogroll, dvd, TV
(Originally posted 3/5/12)
A PBS program that I enjoyed is now on DVD – “Simon Schama’s – Power of Art”. Relaxed and informative, it even includes some personal tidbits about one of my favorite artists. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was gloriously talented, but he was also a youthful offender – violent and incorrigible. Not a cute “Denis the Menace” type, (he murdered a rival) but, as Schama labels him – a thug. I was shocked! Does his anger and madness show in his art? Maybe.
Considered part of the early Italian Baroque style of painting, his work, perhaps as a way of seeking redemption, focused on biblical themes – but, if you look at the faces, you will notice that these are no cherubs or saints, his paintings are inhabited by the people that he found in the local taverns with all their blemishes and wrinkles. I’ve found his work to be vibrant and alive regardless of its theme – whether card players or John the Baptist – full of energy, often full of violence, always very up close and in your face.
Schama narrates the hour and takes a gossipy, anecdotal look at the short life of Michelangelo Caravaggio, (1571 – 1610), and includes some re enactments to give background as to why/how certain paintings were created – like “Calling of Saint Matthew” and his “David with the Head of Goliath”.
BTW – Caravaggio was like Alfred Hitchcock, who always had a walk on or walkthrough in his movies and TV shows – the artist liked to paint himself in the middle of his scenes – with a table of card sharks, with a group of musicians and most notably, he serves himself up as the “Head of Goliath”.
The PBS series included the same 8 artists that are highlighted in Mr. Schama’s book of the same name, “Power of Art”: Caravaggio, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso, Rothko and Bernini.
(Image: David with the Head of Goliath, c. 1609. Oil on panel)
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by Sandy | Aug 26, 2020 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, dvd, Film, Movies
“I Bring What I Love” – is a documentary film about Youssou N’Dour, the pop music superstar from Senegal, West Africa.
N’Dour is revered all across Africa for his “remarkable range and poise and for his prodigious musical intelligence as a writer, bandleader and producer. He absorbs the entire Senegalese musical spectrum in his work, often filtering it through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside his culture. N’Dour has made “mbalax”—a blend of Senegal‘s traditional griot percussion and praise-singing with Afro-Cuban music—famous throughout the world during more than 20 years of recording and touring outside of Senegal with his band, The Super Étoile”.
The director of “I Bring What I Love”, Elizabeth Chai Vasahelyi, followed the singer for 2 years through Africa, Europe and the U.S. to bring us a picture of this super talented and complex man that spread the music and rhythms of his homeland worldwide.
by Sandy | Mar 23, 2020 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, dvd, music
“I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day…”
There is nothing like good music during questionable times. Gives a lift.
The opening bass line that precedes the above lyric is for one of my favorite songs by the Temptations, “My Girl”. It is instantly recognizable, instantly evoking a time/ place/age that is gone, but still very much alive when the music plays. (I still know all the words.)
I watched the DVD, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” again. It tells the story of the “Funk Brothers”, those musicians who rhythmically supported the stars of Motown with their piano, drums, horn section and guitars. According to the liner notes, “They played on more #1 records than the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis combined…”
There are interviews with the guys, funny and touching, as they reminisce about their experiences at “Hitsville, USA”. Unknown by the thousands of us that religiously bought a new 45 record whenever possible, they drove the beat behind the Motown hits from the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder (he was “little” then), the Miracles, etc. The stars were good, but so was the band.
We are also treated to terrific concert footage – artists of today singing the old songs. It’s been a long time, but the music lives – they do a great job, different – but still great.
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by Sandy | Jun 11, 2015 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, dvd, Film, Movies
I loved the documentary, “20 Feet From Stardom” a music and reminiscence filled ode to the back-up singer released last year on DVD. Some added their voices to those early Phil Spector songs (“Da Do Run, Run“) and Rock & Roll tunes featuring great vocals by Darlene Love and Patti Austen. They also did back ground for Elvis and rockers like the Rolling Stones. Anonymous trios and quartets still sing a few feet behind the main acts of today like Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder.
You may not know the singers by name or by sight, but you will know them by ear. A talented bunch, back in the day they sang everything, from “do wop, du wahs”, to the now classic line, “rape, murder, it’s just a shot away” (Merry Clayton on “Gimme Shelter” – called to the session late at night, she did 3 takes while dressed in night gown, fur coat & curlers).
2014 Oscar Winner for Best Documentary, “20 Feet From Stardom”, directed by Morgan Neville, never showed up at my local movie theater, thank goodness for the DVD, I would have missed a thoroughly entertaining chance to fit the names and faces to the background voices on some of my favorite songs. Included in the documentary are old concert footage, interviews with singers (those that tried to move 20 feet forward and those that enjoyed singing backup) and stars that hired the voices with great stories about the music biz – a lot of fun, a lot of memories. Watched it twice 🙂
“20 Feet From Stardom”
Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Patti Austen, Claudia Lennear, Táta Vega, the Waters, the Ikettes and many more.
FYI: “Da Do Run, Run” The Crystals, 1963 – I still know all the words 🙂
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by Sandy | May 26, 2014 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Directors, dvd, Film, Movies
2014 is the 25th year anniversary of Spike Lee’s terrific film, “Do The Right Thing”, 1989. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the event with the writer-director and members of the cast at two special screenings in LA on June 27, at the Bing Theater, and in Brooklyn on June 29 at BAM.
Director Lee has made so many films since 1989, but, “Do” is his most celebrated film so far – it’s included on the American Film Institute list of the 100 best movies of all time. Shot in Brooklyn, NY in 9 weeks, the movie tells the story of a hot day in Bed’Stuy, when pent up anger and over boiling resentment combusts into violence in a matter of minutes.
The stellar cast includes Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Martin Lawrence (film debuts for both Rosie and Martin).
“Do the Right Thing” – 25 years (amazing how time flies )
by Sandy | Jul 25, 2013 | Actors, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, CDs, dvd
Everyone knows who Mr. Belafonte is – just listening to a few chords of “Day-O” or “Ma-tilda” brings his handsome face to the mind’s eye. At 85, he is still attractive of course, but Harry Belafonte: Sing Your Song, a fascinating documentary on DVD, fills in and rounds out the well lived life of the entertainer to be more than a man in a sexy shirt and tight pants. Besides being a singer, actor, husband and father, Mr. Belafonte is an activist, a pioneer and a humanitarian. A full life.
BTW: There is a book My Song: A Memoir and a CD, Harry Belafonte Sing Your Song: The Music that also celebrate this man’s life and music.
