Skip James Movies

Part of The Blues documentary series on PBS, The Soul of a Man is written and directed by Wim Wenders and narrated by Laurence Fishburne. This installment explores the work of the filmmaker's personal musical heroes: Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson, and J.B. Lenoir. Through reenactments and archive footage, Wenders tells the personal stories of these highly influential and often underappreciated artists. Their musical legacy is interpreted through live performances by contemporary musicians like Bonnie Raitt, Cassandra Wilson, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Beck, and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. He also incorporates rare clips from two 16 mm films shot during the '60s by Steve and Rönnog Seaberg. The Soul of a Man was originally broadcast by PBS on September 29, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

One of the most welcome offshoots of the folk revival of the early 1'60s was a renewed interest in rural blues styles; suddenly, a generation of superb blues artists whose music had been all but ignored for years found a new audience, with a handful going on to successful new careers. Devil Got My Woman: Blues at Newport 1966 is comprised of footage shot by noted archivist and producer Alan Lomax during the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, including appearances by country blues masters Howlin' Wolf, Son House, Skip James, Bukka White, and Rev. Pearly Brown. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi