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1. Music at Toronto International Film Festival - including live performance by Youssou n'Dour
2. Other September music highlights
3. RIP, Jerry Wexler

 

A couple of music-oriented films at this year's Film Festival also include free live performances:

Youssou n'Dour
The Senegalese superstar will perform on Sat. Sep. 6, at 8:30pm, at Yonge-Dundas Square (free). The performance will be sure to draw a huge crowd.

This is in conjunction with the showing of the documentary, Youssou n'Dour: I Bring What I Love at the Festival. (3 dates Sep. 6-13, click here for details). The film focuses on n'Dour's highly personal 2004 album, Egypt, a musical exploration of Islam.

See the film trailer on You Tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK4kE329o28. Watch for John Goddard's article and interview with n'Dour in the Sep. 6 Toronto Star.

 

Keb' Mo'
Friday, Sep. 5, the veteran guitarist also does a free show at the same venue, 8:30pm. In his case, this ties in to the showing of Who Do You Love, a biography/drama about Leonard Chess, the founder of the great Chicago record label, Chess Records (Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Etta James and many others).  In the film, Keb' Mo' plays the role of Muddy Waters' great guitarist, Jimmie Rogers.  3 dates (Sep. 11-13); details here.

Interestingly, this is the first of two films about to be released regarding Chess Records. The other is Cadillac Records, featuring Mos' Def as Chuck Berry and Beyoncé as Etta James. No release date information yet.

For anyone interested in the Chess story, a highly recommended book is The Record Men: Chess Records and the Birth of Rock & Roll by Rich Cohen. From an earlier note I'd printed regarding another film showing in town on Chess:

"This book captures the grit, funk, energy, corruption and street life of the business, the Jewish immigrant experience in Chicago, the black/Jewish interaction, and the excitement of the times better than any other book I've read. Wonderful use of language and imagery -- and perfect timing for the film series, and this film in particular"

 

Also on film: Soul Power
A documentary on the three day music festival held in then-Zaire in conjunction with the 1974 Muhammed Ali - George Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle", featuring James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Miriam Makeba, Afrisa and others.

For details, times -- and a history of how the film came into being after more than 30 years, see this page.

 

a) Small World Music Festival

Of course, this is the major presentation of Small World Music who put such great and varied music through the year. Check www.smallworldmusic.com for details, sound samples and more. Once again, the festival is incredibly impressive and eclectic.

Just a few of the notable shows in the large lineup:

Chiwoniso: Sep. 18, Lula Lounge
A singer of Zimbabwean background, she performs traditional mbira music. Her new album, Rebel Woman was recorded with guitarist Louis Mhlanga, and was selected as "Record of the Month" for August by British DJ, writer and world music guru, Charlie Gillett (who plans to do an upcoming radio show with her).

Vieux Farka Touré, Sep. 30: The Mod Club
Most people who saw his outstanding Feb. 2007 Harbourfront show (photos: http://to-music.ca/gallery/070210_vft) will make a point of catching him again. The son of Ali Farka Touré is a superb performer in his own right.

Jason Wilson CD Release, Hugh's Room, Sep. 25 & 26
One of Canada's busiest reggae performers (band leader for the Jamaica to Toronto project), he performs with guests including the great Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin, Pee Wee Ellis and Brinsley Forde.

 

A giant figure in popular music, he passed away at the age of 91 on Aug. 15. Since then, here have been numerous articles written about him, including this one on the Rolling Stone website. That page also includes a link to 20 songs Wexler produced: it's supposed to be from a CD he once burned for friends of the songs he was most proud of. It's quite a list, but then, the man had quite a career, and quite the talent. Those songs range from Professor Longhair and Ray Charles through The Drifters, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Etta James and Bob Dylan.

A few years ago I saw a documentary on Wexler, entitled Immaculate Funk. Even though I was aware of most of the artists' work that he had produced it still struck me forcefully how influential and skilled his work was, seen in the quality and importance of his work in the extensive body of many major artists.

In many cases, the music he produced was the best of artists' careers; in others, he helped them turn careers around, or to take a new bold turn that often re-defined, or re-charged their careers. Among the best known of those cases were Aretha Franklin who to that time had a been a not-very successful pop singer, and Bob Dylan's gospel album Slow Train Coming. He captured Dusty Springfield's soulful voice as no-one else did in Dusty in Memphis, and produced Willie Nelson's Phases and Stages, a brilliant concept album that helped him escape forever the Nashville deadend he had been stuck in. The list can go on and on.

You can see a video of Wexler being interviewed about his work on Slow Train Coming, and how the album came about here: Part 1, 2 & 3

Now that he is gone, and being remembered and honoured by people from all aspects of popular music, I remember a comment he made in Immaculate Funk. Wexler, a committed atheist was asked how he wanted to be remembered.

"I don't give a fuck", he said, "I'll be dead".

There are no doubts however how well and how long the man who invented the term Rhythm & Blues will be remembered.

(His autobiography, Rhythm and the Blues is highly recommended).

John Leeson
www.to-music.ca