The life and works of avant-garde singer-songwriter, cellist and producer Arthur Russell, inspired many and remains influential even today, years after his passing in 1992.  Having never heard of Russell until Nat Baldwin performed a cover of “A Little Lost”, at Monks this summer, I was surprised to find out (after much research) the breadth of his scope of influence on modern music.  Plexifilm’s release of this documentary, directed by Matt Wolf, has been followed by much critical acclaim and honors. A Wild Combination was named Best Documentary at the Gaze Film Festival in Dublin and cited for Artistic Achievement at Outfest in Los Angeles. It officially opens on September 26, at IFC Center in New York and ICA in London. To the tide the rest of us over until its DVD release on November 4, Plexifilm has released this trailer:

The movie features interviews with his friends, family and others who have been inspired by his work including Jens Lekman. It is a fitting tribute to a man who in many ways was before his time and therefore under appreciated. Lekman along with Vera November, Taken by Trees and Joel Gibb are featured on Four Songs by Arthur Russell, a covers EP released in 2007.

For more information about this film, check out the movie’s web site. Also make sure to check out La Blogothèque’s great video of Jens Lekman performing “A Little Lost.”

-Ben Hernández

mp3:
Nat Baldwin- “A Little Lost” (live at Monks in Abilene)

http://www.arthurrussellmovie.com

Jens Lekman :: La Blogothèque

Growing up in a a-cappella Church of Christ reserved a soft spot for old hymns and gospel singing. I’ve seen it’s power and I’ve seen it bore others to death. What it boils down to is the fact that it is folk music and it interests me. Now someone has decided to make a documentary:

Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp

Sam Amidon (or Samamidon) is a favorite of mine and anytime I can bring his name up I do. This whole film about Sacred Harp playing seems very interesting and Sam isn’t the only one contributing a song that has my attention. Others included in the project are Danielson, Liz Janes, Wovenhand, etc. The movie’s soundtrack is broken down into two disc as follows:

Disc 1: The Original Soundtrack of Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp, the critically acclaimed documentary as seen on PBS stations and featured on NPR, in TIME magazine, Pitchfork, The Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal, The Oregonian, etc. The soundtrack includes traditional Sacred Harp singing, as recorded in rural Georgia and Alabama.

Disc Two: Help Me to Sing: Songs of the Sacred Harp performed by various artists. This is the first ever collection of popular music adaptations of Sacred Harp songs. “Help Me to Sing” includes 19 never before heard tracks which were specifically commissioned for this CD by the co-director of Awake, My Soul, Matt Hinton.

“Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp is the first feature documentary about Sacred Harp singing, a haunting form of a cappella, shape note hymn singing with deep roots in the American south. Shape note singing has survived over 200 years tucked away from notice in the rural deep south, where in old country churches, singers break open The Sacred Harp, a 160 year old shape note hymnal which has preserved these fiercely beautiful songs which are some of the oldest in America. The film offers a glimpse into the lives of this ‘Lost Tonal Tribe’ whose history is a story of both rebellion and tradition. The filmmakers, Matt and Erica Hinton spent 7 years documenting this yet largely unknown art form. “

I’ll try and get my hands on this DVD and let you know if it’s worth your time, the soundtrack already seems so. Check the myspace link below to stream the Sam Amidon track.

-Dustin Reid

http://awakemysoul.com/
http://www.myspace.com/helpmetosing