Dr. John Movies

In 1970, a music aficionado and entrepreneur named Michael Eavis staged a "pop, folk, and blues" festival on a dairy farm in the English community of Glastonbury, not far from Stonehenge. 1,500 attended the "Glastonbury Fayre," and a second festival followed in 1971. By 2005, The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts had grown into the biggest pop music festival in the world, playing host to the biggest names in rock, reggae, electronic, blues, and world music for a crowd of up to 150,000 people over the course of a three-day weekend in June. Filmmaker Julien Temple offers a backstage look at the history of this event, as well as a cross section of the memorable performances which have taken place on the festival's stage in the documentary Glastonbury. Performers featured in archival footage include R.E.M., David Bowie, New Order, Radiohead, Coldplay, the Velvet Underground, Nick Cave, Oasis, Blur, Björk, and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

When independent filmmaker Greg Spotts heard that a staggering three million manufacturing jobs in the U.S. had simply disappeared between 2000 and 2003, he grabbed his camera and hit the road in hopes of documenting the effect this widespread cutback had on everyday workers firsthand. For the next six months, Spotts used his own funding to visit 19 cities and towns across the country and talk with the people most affected by these massive cutbacks. What followed was not only a remarkably personal look into the heart of the American workforce, but a profound statement on the undeniable impact of "global sourcing" on both blue- and white-collar families struggling to simply make ends meet in an increasingly competitive marketplace. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Part of The Blues documentary film series on PBS, Piano Blues is directed by actor, filmmaker, and pianist Clint Eastwood. This installment explores the director's fascination with piano blues and jazz, starting with Fats Waller and the early stride piano sound. The sound evolved into boogie-woogie with expressive players like Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. Includes the classic "How Long Blues" as interpreted through the generations by Jimmy Yancey, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Dr. John. Features performances by Marcia Ball, Pinetop Perkins, Dave Brubeck, and Jay McShann. Piano Blues was originally broadcast by PBS on October 4, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

This performance program showcases many of the most famous musicians to call the Big Easy their home. Among the artists performing here are the Neville Brothers, Allan Toussaint, and Dr. John, all captured on stage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Blues guitarist Bonnie Raitt also makes an appearance. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

Dan Aykroyd and John Landis teamed to script this sequel to The Blues Brothers (1980), which they also co-scripted. With Landis once again at the helm as director, Aykroyd re-creates his role of rhythm-and-blues man Elwood Blues, and the film's numerous R&B performances and production numbers include Aretha Franklin singing her classic "Respect". Released from prison after serving 18 years for the havoc depicted in the first film, Elwood learns that while he was serving time, his pal Jake Blues (John Belushi) has died, as did their hi-de-ho music mentor Curtis (Cab Calloway). Times have changed, but the blues beat goes on. Elwood visits Mother Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman), who runs the orphanage where Elwood and Jake were raised, and she puts 10-year-old Buster (J. Evan Bonifant) in Elwood's care. Seeking a loan, Elwood visits Curtis' son, Cabel Chamberlain (Joe Morton), and Buster picks Cabel's pocket. Now, 18 years after the original "mission from God," Elwood attempts to reorganize the Blues Brothers Band, beginning with bartender Mighty Mack McTeer (John Goodman) as a replacement for Jake. With the Russian Mafia in hot pursuit, Elwood, Mack, and Buster head cross-country, locating band members as they travel pell-mell toward a scheduled battle of the bands in Louisiana where the Blues Brothers Band competes with the Lousiana Gator Boys Band (Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Dr. John, Travis Tritt, Steve Winwood, Clarence Clemmons, Isaac Hayes). Filmed in Toronto and Chicago, this movie reunited Aykroyd and Goodman, who were seen previously in the 1996 video, The Return of the Blues Brothers, a performance taped January 24, 1995 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Elsewhere, the Blues Brothers are kept alive in a half-dozen or so websites, such as the House of Blues, and live stage productions. In England, the stage show A Tribute to the Blues Brothers began in 1991. At the request of Aykroyd and Judy Belushi, the title of that production was changed to The Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers. With various cast members in the roles of Jake and Elwood (Con O'Neill, Warwick Evans, Brad Henshaw, Simon Foster), the show toured Britain throughout the 1990s. The "original Blues Brother" (who coached John Belushi and originated some of the blues raps used by Belushi) is Curtis Salgado (of the Robert Cray Band). One cast member of Blues Brothers 2000, bluesman Junior Wells, the last of the great Chicago harmonica players, died in January 1998, only days before the film was released. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Monica (Roma Downey) has somehow landed an emcee gig at Club Indigo, once the greatest blues club in St. Louis, but now a seedy dive on the verge of bankruptcy. Despite the admonitions of his money-hungry grandson Zach (Geoffrey Nauffts), club owner Sam Brown (Hal Linden) insists upon keeping the place open unless he is told otherwise by "The Countess", a mysterious singer who'd helped save the club some thirty years earlier. Zach refuses to believe Sam's stories of all the jazz greats he has known, and in fact is convinced that The Countess never existed. It is up to Monica to prove Zach wrong and justify Sam's faith in the Countess before the old man's inevitable rendezvous with Angel of Death Andrew (John Dye). Al Jarreau, B.B.King, Dr. John and Al Hirt appear as themselves in the final scene--and just guess who The Countess turns out to be! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jazz guitarist John Scofield shows off his rich and individual style with three different ensembles in this concert video, shot during an appearance in New York City in 1990. John Scofield: Live, 3 Ways features the guitarist performing in a trio with organist Don Pullen and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, then teaming up with the legendary New Orleans pianist Dr. John for some duets, and later jamming with a quartet featuring the great Joe Lovano on sax. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The distinctive New Orleans inflected piano stylings of Dr. John are captured on this video that documents a 1983 London concert by the gifted musician. Songs performed include the traditional classic "When the Saints Go Marching In", "In the Right Place, Wrong Time", "Mac's Boogie Woogie", and over a half-dozen others. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

This delightful performance video features works by conductor/composer Philip Glass, musician David Byrne, and filmmaker John Waters. ~ All Movie Guide