Three legendary blues musicians receive their due in Scott Rosenbaum's affectionate documentary. Pianist Pinetop Perkins and drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith—who both won a shared Emmy in 2011—played with Muddy Waters, while guitarist Hubert Sumlin accompanied Howlin' Wolf. Rosenbaum combines performance footage with interviews of his subjects, animated sequences, narration by Marc Maron, and testimonials from musical disciples such as Derek Trucks, who has played with Sumlin; Bonnie Raitt, who has performed with Perkins and Smith; and Johnny Winter, who produced Waters’s comeback album, Hard Again. Perkins, who was born in Mississippi in 1913 and left home at 16, joined forces with Sonny Boy Williamson, and by 1969 was part of Waters’s band. Sumlin, born in Mississippi in 1931, saw Howlin' Wolf play at a young age, and he recalls, "I was determined to be with that guy." In 1954, he got the call to join Wolf in Chicago. Smith, born in Arkansas in 1936, moved to Chicago when he was 17, where he met Waters, with whom he would play for decades. Through these associations, the trio of sidemen went on to inspire British acts who built their rock ‘n’ roll bands on a blues foundation, such as the Rolling Stones, whose cover of Wolf's "Little Red Rooster" topped the charts. Jimi Hendrix, who claimed Sumlin as an influence, covered Wolf's "Killing Floor," which Sumlin performs in the film (the two also played together). Rosenbaum's film shines a valuable light on significant contributors to widely celebrated works who didn’t always receive the credit they deserved (all three musicians passed away in 2011). Extras include a deleted scene and a bonus performance by blues musician Robert Randolf. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Sidemen: Long Road to Glory
(2017) 80 min. DVD: $24.95. Once & For All (avail. from www.sidemenfilm.com). Volume 33, Issue 5
Sidemen: Long Road to Glory
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: