The Bluestime Power Hour

Sometimes there's a world of difference between the idea and the execution. Case in point: The Bluestime Power Hour, brainchild of host Cinthia T. Coleman. Her idea was to travel America uncovering the heretofore unsung blues singers who played in such bastions of the blues as Oakland, Los Angeles, Kansas City and St. Louis. The result is a 26 video series (presently available only as a complete series) of concerts, featuring talents as diverse as Maria Muldaur and Little Hatch. We watched the latter, playing a set at Kansas City's Grand Emporium. An inductee to the National Jazz Hall of Fame, Little Hatch got less respect than Rodney Dangerfield in this less-than-high-fidelity concert: as he and his band played a handful of tunes, the background noise included a steady buzz of people jabbering and phones ringing. The songs were, for the most part, not identified, and the performance was decidedly low-key. Those willing to plunk down nearly 500 bucks for archival materials may want to consider; most everyone else will want to pass. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)