by cd kaplan
In 1972, in a church in Watts, Lady Soul Aretha Franklin recorded a live concert of the Gospel music of her youth, growing up in the church. Because director Sydney Pollack essentially didn’t know what he was doing, the footage languished in the vault for decades, until rescued, when sound and visuals could be synchronized through digital editing. Even after that, the movie was not released at the direction of Ms. Franklin herself, for reasons that remain mysterious and unknown. Finally, after her passing, this important historical document is available for viewing.
If you care about music, it is to be seen.
Which is not to say that filming situation and final product are without some oddities. Which I discuss more fully in my podcast.
The movie is being shown several dozen times between now and May 26 in the comfortable Speed Museum Cinema.
TO HEAR ENTIRE REVIEW, CLICK LINK ABOVE!
Ready for more great music? Listen now at wfpk.org/stream
