godfathers and sons (2003)

Available on DVD

Synopsis

Director Marc Levin (Slam, Whiteboys, Brooklyn Babylon) travels to Chicago with hip-hop legend Chuck D (of Public Enemy) and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess and heir to the Chess Records legacy) to explore the heyday of Chicago blues as they unite to produce an album that seeks to bring veteran blues players together with contemporary hip hop musicians. Along with never-before-seen archival footage of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, are original performances by Koko Taylor, Otis Rush, Magic Slim, Ike Turner, and Sam Lay.

Says Levin: "When we were shooting Sam Lay and his band at the Chicago Blues Festival, they were playing Muddy Waters' classic, 'I Got My Mojo Workin.' I closed my eyes and was transported back to when I was a 15-year-old hanging in my buddy's basement listening to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band for the first time. My life was changed that day, and 35 years later the music's still shakin' my soul. The feel of that day in the basement is what I have set out to capture in this film."

GODFATHERS AND SONS premiered on PBS in October of 2003. The series is executive produced by Martin Scorsese. The seven-hour series includes films by directors Wim Wenders, Clint Eastwood, Charles Burnett, Mike Figgis, Richard Pearce and Martin Scorsese.

Performances in Godfathers and Sons

 Lonnie Brooks I Paul Butterfield * I Common I Chuck D and Public Enemy * I Bo Diddley* I Sam Lay I Ike Turner I Pinetop Perkins I Otis Rush I Magic Slim I Smokey Smothers I Koko Taylor I Sonny Terry * I Brownie McGhee* I "Electric Mud Band" I Pete Cosey, Phil Upchurch, Louis Satterfield, Morris Jennings I Kyle Rahzel and Ahmir (a.k.a. Questlove) of The Roots I Muddy Waters* I Sonny Boy Williamson* I Howlin' Wolf* I Willie Dixon * I Blind Arvella Gray* I Carrie Robinson*

*indicates archival performance

Interviews in Godfathers and Sons

Marshall Chess I Chuck D I Jamar Chess I Phil Chess I Koko Taylor I Magic Slim I Common I Sam Lay