Skip to main contentThe 21st installment of the Northwest Film Center's Reel Music series kicks off this week with a monthlong program that includes an incredibly diverse selection of movies about music. Composed mostly of documentaries, this year's lineup features a mix of films on a variety of topics, covering the musical spectrum from jazz to bluegrass to hip-hop to classical and beyond.
The appeal of Reel Music has always been the unique opportunity to explore different musical landscapes under the auspices of watching film. These conditions provide an ideal set of conditions to learn more about and experience different forms of music. Even if you're not a fan of hip-hop, there is a lot to be gleaned from Five Sides of a Coin, just as King of Bluegrass: The Life and Times of Jimmy Martin offers much to those with little interest in bluegrass. The best films of Reel Music have always offered a compelling introduction into whatever end of the musical spectrum is being examined, and this year is no different.
A lost chapter of rock-'n'-roll history is rediscovered in Festival Express (Guild, 7 pm Friday). Working with 30-year-old footage, filmmaker Bob Smeaton has put together a documentary of a train-bound rock tour that barreled across Canada in 1970 featuring the likes of Janis Joplin, the Band, Traffic and the Grateful Dead. Described as "a sort of Woodstock on wheels," the tour was captured in 46 hours of footage, pared down to 90 minutes for this film.
Director Don McGlynn uses a treasure trove of old performance footage, home movies and contemporary interviews to create The Howlin' Wolf Story (Guild, 7 pm Saturday), an insightful and entertaining portrait of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. The legendary bluesman and his band were key influences on British rockers like the Rolling Stones. McGlynn's finely crafted portrait and the vintage footage serve to create a glowing document that conveys the power and energy of Howlin' Wolf.
The name Sandy Bull may not be the best-known among six-string virtuosos, but thanks to Sandy Bull: No Deposit No Return Blues (Guild, 9:15 Saturday) the highly influential guitar hero's legacy lives on. Lovingly crafted by Bull's daughter K.C., the documentary examines the life and career of Sandy, who drew from a deep pool of musical influences ranging from classical--which he played on the banjo--to Indian and Arabic music.
Fans of bluegrass are in for a treat with a special double-feature of Bluegrass Journey and King of Bluegrass: The Life and Times of Jimmy Martin (Guild, 2 pm Sunday). Bluegrass Journey mixes performance footage from the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York with interviews to create a documentary that's been compared to Woodstock. King of Bluegrass offers a portrait of Martin, the legendary performer who has garnered worldwide acclaim but continues to be snubbed by the Grand Ole Opry. Between performance footage and Martin hunting raccoons with his beloved dogs, filmmaker George Goehl portrays Martin as an aging dynamo, who still has the energy to keep an audience entertained.
Argentine filmmaker Hernán Gaffet's Oscar Alemán: A Swinging Life (Guild, 5 pm Sunday) profiles the South American jazz legend, who built a reputation for himself playing in Josephine Baker's orchestra.
Portland musicians Jim Mesi and Steve Bradley are the focus of The Losers Club (Mission Theatre, 7:30 and 10:30 pm Tuesday), Pierre Ouellette's profile of two of the local region's most influential guitarists.
As Reel Music continues through the month and into February, keep an eye open for some of the great films scheduled to play. Among the many worth watching out for are Five Sides of a Coin, Nina Simone: Love Sorceress and Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story, a chronicle of the legendary Portland band that keeps going and going and going.
Guild Theatre, 829 SW 9th Ave.; Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave.; Mission Theatre, 1624 NW Glisan St. Jan. 9-Feb. 8. $7 general admission.
For a full schedule of screenings, go to www.nwfilm.org .
WWeek 2015