| The Music District
In the intimate atmosphere of a neighborhood club we meet the Legendary Orioles, a three generation-old rhythm and blues quartet, now in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. The Orioles are preserving a singing style, with roots in 19th century black sacred music quartets, which was secularized by such popular groups as the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers. As one listener observes, "The Orioles give you 45 years of music in 45 minutes." The Four Echoes, a five decade-old Jubilee style gospel quartet, grew out of the same southern traditions. Their songs, drawn from the Bible, are in close four-part harmony with the lead shifting from bass to tenor. Younger audiences flock to the Junk Yard Band which originally used cans and buckets to drum out the non-stop beat of a unique DC style, Go Go. The band has adapted the "call and response" singing of black churches to an urban setting, with songs that involve the audience by incorporating fan's names and neighborhoods into an improvised narrative. At the United House of Prayer for All People (called "God's White House"), we are swept up by the "thundering" of a brass "shout" band, the Kings of Harmony. Their style, unique to this denomination founded by Daddy Grace, replaces vocals with a joyous chorus of trombones and percussion. Throughout The
Music District, we glimpse unfamiliar vistas of national
monuments framed by the store front churches, clubs and row houses of
Southeast Washington. They remind us of the vitality of African American
communities which continue to invent new musical forms in the face of
national neglect and prejudice. As one listener puts it, "This music
lifts you up and makes you feel you can take another step just a little
bit further." |
"A celebration
of the vitality and artistry of the music, the close-knit communities
and hopes of the people who live in the nation's capital." "The Music District
is a warm, respectful and vibrant film that illuminates a side - and
a sound - of Washington that too few people know." "With a discerning
eye and a great deal of respect, The
Music District
documents the vigor and vitality of African American traditional musics...Each
form is articulately interpreted and contextualized by the people who
'own' the form." "A wonderful,
joyful, thoughtful and inspiring film...Reveals how important music
history is to the performers and makes it important to the viewers." Video
Purchase: $195
|
The
Music District swings to the beat of four vibrant but little known
African American musical traditions flourishing within blocks of the
centers of national power. The members and fans of four bands describe
how each emerged within a specific local musical context and remain
largely supported by community audiences.
