Film review and podcast by c d kaplan
The full title of Questlove’s to-be-seen music documentary is “Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”
The Roots drummer and cultural observer became aware of previously unseen footage from a series of concerts in Harlem in the summer of ’69.
If you assume from the title of the documentary that there’s some politics in addition to an abundance of truly stirring musical performances, you would be correct.
It is to Questlove’s credit that he balances the sociopolitical stridency with get down tuneage.
This is a truly well-crafted piece of filmmaking about an event that few outside that New York community have known about.
For more information about the movie, available both in the theater and streaming at Hulu, listen to my podcast above.
Ready for more great music? Listen to WFPK online.
