"The Blues"

Date: 19 May 2003 14:55:49 -0700
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Dear Blues Fan,
"The Blues" On the Road is where the music is - want to hitch a ride?
"The Blues," executive produced by filmmaker Martin Scorsese and
exclusively sponsored by Volkswagen, anchors a multi-media project to
help raise awareness of the blues and its contribution to American
culture and music worldwide.
Prior to airing on both television and radio this fall on PBS,
Volkswagen is taking "The Blues" On the Road to national film, music and
heritage events
celebrating the blues throughout the year. Excitement is mounting after
a number of successful events, so be on the lookout for "The Blues" On
the Road events in your community!
"The Blues" kicked off the year with special screenings at the Sundance
Film Festival in Utah (January 16-26), and at Radio City Music Hall
February 7th with "Salute to the Blues, " a benefit concert produced by
Martin Scorsese and sponsored by Volkswagen. According to Daily Variety,
"...The stage at Radio City Music Hall resounded with the most genuine
strains of blues possible in the 21st century. Powered by a backing band
mottled with top-line names (including Keb' Mo', Ivan Neville and Dr.
John), a plethora of intergenerational performers delivered the goods in
admirably down 'n' dirty fashion... 'A Salute to the Blues' made a good
case for the continued vibrancy of one of America's most important
indigenous art. "
Despite a torrential downpour, about 1,000 people showed up for the
opening night of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in North
Carolina on Thursday, April 10th, and were treated to a screening of
segments from all seven films of "The Blues" - introduced by a surprise
live performance by Chris Thomas King, and followed by a panel
discussion that included Chris, series producer Alex Gibney, director
Marc Levin and quintessential bluesman Bobby Rush, who performs in the
films.
It was a hot night for cool blues at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Festival, as "The Blues" hosted a media party April 28th at the House of
Blues in the French Quarter. VIPs included blues legend Clarence
"Gatemouth" Brown, Chris Thomas King, Corey Harris and Keb' Mo'. After
viewing clips from the upcoming series, Keb' Mo' roused the crowd late
into the night, along with Susan Tedeschi.
Upcoming events include highlight screenings and sneak previews at:
the Seattle International Film Festival
May 22-June 15, online at http://www.seattlefilm.com/siff/
the Chicago Blues Festival
May 29 - June 1, online at
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/SpecialEvents/Festivals/Blues2003/
the Spirit Festival in Kansas City
July 3 - 5, online at http://www.spiritfest.org/
Bumbershoot Music Festival in Seattle
August 29 - September 1, online at http://www.bumbershoot.com/
Toronto International Film Festival
September 4 - 13, online at
http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2002/default.asp
And the Monterey Jazz Festival
September 19 - 21, online at http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/
Stay tuned for more details, and if you're in the neighborhood, be sure
to come on down and join the fun!
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Tell a Friend
If you know other blues fans who would enjoy these updates, please pass
this message along and encourage them to sign up at
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/signup.html
******************
Visit THE BLUES Web site at http://www.pbs.org/theblues to check out the
film descriptions and get more information about the project and
partners. We also welcome your questions, comments, and feedback. Send
your message to email-address-deleted.
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******************
Volkswagen is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of "The Blues."
******************
ABOUT THE BLUES(tm)
The Blues, executive produced by filmmaker Martin Scorsese and
premiering this fall on PBS, anchors a multi-media project to help raise
awareness of the blues and its contribution to American culture and
music worldwide. The Blues is a seven-part television series of
personal and impressionistic films viewed through the lens of seven
world-famous directors who share a passion for the music. The films, by
Scorsese, Charles Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Mike Figgis, Marc Levin,
Richard Pearce, and Wim Wenders capture the essence of blues music and
delve into its global influence - from its roots in Africa to its
inspirational role in today's music. Sponsored by Volkswagen, The Blues
project initiatives include an extensive Web site at
www.pbs.org/theblues; a 13-part radio series; educational outreach; a
companion book, and value-added DVDs, a CD box set, individual
soundtracks for each show, a single "Best of" album and individual
artist recordings. The Blues project will also go "On the Road," to a
national schedule of film, music and heritage events celebrating the
blues throughout the year. The Blues is a presentation of Vulcan
Productions and Road Movies in association with Cappa Productions and
Jigsaw Productions; WGBH Boston presents the series on PBS; public
television funding is provided by PBS and the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting. Along with Scorsese, Paul G. Allen and Jody Patton of
Vulcan Productions and Ulrich Felsberg of Road Movies are executive
producing the series; Alex Gibney is the series producer; Margaret Bodde
is the producer, and Richard Hutton is the co-producer.
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All information in this newsletter is (c) 2003 Vulcan / WGBH Boston.
Redistribution in whole or part with proper credit to the source is
permitted.
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