Lightning In A Bottle - A One Night History of the Blues 2005

A celebration of the blues performed by various artists.

Part concert, part history lesson, part summit meeting, and all blues, Lightning in a Bottle puts a bright spotlight on this quintessential American music. There are some heavy hitters at work here, both behind the camera (Martin Scorsese executive produced, while the film was directed by Antoine Fuqua of Training Day and King Arthur) and especially in front of it, with a superb house band and a mind-boggling array of musicians (including B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Solomon Burke, Keb' Mo', Macy Gray, the Neville Brothers, Robert Cray, and John Fogerty, to name but a few) performing at New York's Radio City Music Hall in February, 2003. The idea was to trace the music from its beginnings; thus we get an African song (by Angelique Kidjo), some early gospel blues (the great Mavis Staples), acoustic Delta blues, and so on, right up to blues-drenched electric rock and even some rap (a riveting version of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" by Chuck D.). Virtually all of the immortals who defined the blues (Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and even Jimi Hendrix, whose fiery style is re-enacted by Buddy Guy) enter the picture, either through vintage film clips or new performances of their songs. One might wish for more insight into the influence of the blues on jazz (Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," sung here by India.Arie, is a fine song, but it's not a blues tune) or country, but overall, Lightning in a Bottle is an edifying and, most important, highly entertaining portrait of the music and its heritage.

~ Sam Graham

Tracklist:

01. Senie Zelie - Angalique Kidjo
02. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Mavis Staples
03. Gamblin' Man - Edwards
04. Love in Vain - Keb' Mo'
05. Sittin' On Top Of The World - Alison Krauss
06. Jim Crow Blues - Odetta
07. St. Louis Blues - Natalie Cole
08. Men Are Just Like Street Cars - Natalie Cole
09. I Can't Be Satisfied - Buddy Guy
10. Strange Fruit - India.Arie
11. Hound Dog - Macy Gray
12. The Midnight Special - John Fogerty
13. Where'd You Get That Sound - Larry Johnson
14. Okie Dokie Stomp - Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
15. Coming Home - Bonnie Raitt
16. The Sky Is Crying - Warren Haynes
17. I'm a King Bee - Steven Tyler
18. The First Time I Met the Blues - Buddy Guy
19. Big Chief - The Neville Brothers
20. I Pity The Fool - Robert Cray
21. Killing Floor - Hubert Sumlin
22. Turn on Your Love Light - Solomon Burke
23. Down In The Valley - Solomon Burke
24. Voodoo Child - Buddy Guy
25. Minnesota Blues - Mos Def
26. Boom Boom - Chuck D.
27. Sweet Sixteen - B.B. King

Musicians: Аngelique Kidjo, Mavis Staples, Honeyboy Edwards, Keb' Mo', James Blood Ullmer and Alison Krauss, India.Arie, Odetta, Natalie Cole, Larry Johnson, Buddy Guy, Ruth Brown, Macy Gray, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, Kim Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, John Hammond, John Fogerty, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, The Neville Brothers, Shemekia Сopeland, Robert Cray, David Johansen and Hubert Sumlin, Solomon Burke, Vernon Reid, Chuck D. and Fine Arts Militia, B.B. King & others.