Coming to Digital on Sept 24
Every city that’s been considered the birthplace of the Blues has a distinct sound, and When Houston Had The Blues, what’s unique to this locale is the sax. As for why that is so, everything a student of this genre would want to know is excellently answered here. This documentary curated by Alan Swyer, who also serves as director, dives deep into looking at the legends who shaped the sound.
Not only does Lightning Sam (Hopkins) get the spotlight, but also we see why a lot of prominent female artists rose to fame here. Back in the early part of the 20th century, not everyone got treated fairly–the music was often restricted to juke joints, and it wasn’t until Elvis that helped introduce the music from African-Americans and later transform it to something known as rock and roll.
But if we are to trace the origins of this genre, the sound emerged somewhere in the Louisiana bayou. From Delta blues to Mississippi to Chicago and New York, how the sound transformed is worth studying. And while the focus here is all about Texas, to have even the modern greats talk about the sound makes this work a huge, fascinating to watch. If a music teacher wanted to supplement what he taught with this audiovisual aide, I’d say this feature-length movie has it all!
What’s offered includes vintage/contemporary performances from the likes of Bobby “Blue” Bland, Chi “Juke Boy” Bonner, Charles Brown, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Jewel Brown, C.J. Chenier, Arnett Cobb, Albert Collins, Diunna Greenleaf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Trudy Lynn, David “Guitar Shorty” Kearney, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, Katie Webster aka The Swamp Boogie Queen, Don Wilkerson and more. The producers went to great lengths to get the rights so that a lot of songs can be featured. While they’re not full tracks, it’s enough to get me feeling the blues all over again! And for those who are still living to give an interview, their personality really shines here!
And yes, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top recognises his roots as well. There’s a lot of names and record labels identified and to list them all would be an essay in itself. As for how one can identify where a song came from, musician Marcia Ball simply said, it’s all about what musical instrument gets used a lot! Here, it’s the saxophone. I’d love to have her as my professor because of how she has reignited my love for the Blues. Even everything I learned back in school (university) still resonates with me today. What’s important are also those experiences these musicians faced before achieving their fame.
When Houston Had The Blues ventures deep to show why certain musicians became the princes that they are. There’s only one Albert and Freddie King, and while they’re more representative of another state, I’ll just leave my review at that!
5 Stars out of 5
When Houston Had The Blues Trailer
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