There is a specific cultural historical place the music comes from.” This led him to the vast library of music available on Waters. Wright found a fair amount of printed material on Muddy Waters but “for me the entryway for the character is through the music. Likewise, Jeffrey Wright who nails Muddy Waters to a tee. Over the top, enthusiastic, energetic and frenetic, from voice to duck walk to ambient flair, he is Chuck Berry. Take a look at Mos Def who again embodies his character – the incomparable Chuck Berry. Hello Best Actress.īut let’s not stop with Beyonce. Open your eyesand you would swear she is standing in front of you. Close your eyes and you would swear Etta James is singing. But beyond the physical transformation is the voice. Packing on some 15 or so pounds to attain James’ more zaftig figure, Knowles captures the faltering tilting-on-too-high-high-heels walk, the slunking swing of her arms, the tilt of the head when performing. As eloquently opined by Adrian Brody who plays Len Chess, “The more well known the character that you are playing is, I believe the more pressure there is on the actor to really embody that and those qualities and do them justice.” Never have I seen a more complete platter of Oscar worthy performances as each actor embodies their respective character with such meticulous definition and precision, there are times it is almost impossible to tell “is it live or is it Memorex.” The greatest example of this comes from executive producer and star, Beyonce Knowles, who IS Etta James. If the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences were to ever give an ensemble Best Oscar, it would be for this film. And for Waters, and every Chess artist with a hit record thereafter, a new Cadillac from Len Chess.īut a record label can’t survive on one artist and the always savvy Chess set about finding talent wherever and whenever he could eventually signing Howlin Wolf who, although part of the Chess family was a top rival to cornerstone Waters, a skinny young guy with a duck walk named Chuck Berry who made the crossover into mainstream “white” American music marking the true birth of rock ‘n roll, and ultimately the sultry and talented Etta James, a woman renowned the world over and still knocking ‘em dead with her classic “At Last.” This is their story. The music – and the payola – worked as Waters music moved rapidly up the R&B charts. Confident in his decision that this music was “the future” Chess pedaled the records from radio station to radio station across the country, paying out bribes along the way to the White DJ’s if it meant getting airplay for Waters.
Engaging but not earth-shattering, it wasn’t until Chess struck a chord mixing Waters with bassist Big Crawford and ultimately the hyperkinetic harmonica player Little Walter that they struck gold. Graphically depicting the turbulence of the segregated 1950’s and 60’s, director Darnell Martin has crafted a colorful tale encompassing racial and ethnic issues, sex, violence, the blues and rock ‘n roll.Įstablishing an early relationship with an unknown Mississippi farm boy named Muddy Waters, Len Chess (and although omitted from the film, his brother Phil) blended Waters’ bluesy rural style with ensemble blues rooted in the sound of old Chicago artists. Chronicling the rise of Chess Records (and taking great liberties with history along the way), CADILLAC RECORDS is the story of Len Chess and his stable of stars who went on to become some of America’s greatest musical legends. And of course, Leonard Chess is known for being one of the catalysts of the Payola scandal that rocked the music industry back in the late 50’s.
#Cadillac records movie mac#
However, it is because of Chess that you are familiar with recording artists like Etta James, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Little Walter, John Lee Hooker and Chuck Berry, and even more familiar with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton, the latter three of whom were directly musically influenced by the recording artists at Chess Records. Leonard Chess is name probably not familiar to many of you.
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