Finding Les Blank

I don't know why I didn't meet Les Blank before he died;  after all, he lived in El Cerrito and made documentaries about music and dance - just like me.  Although for some reason I didn't ever get to know him personally, now, I have "found" him.

Les Blank made all kinds of films about things like cajun music, bluegrass, Lightnin' Hopkins, the polka people, and even topics like garlic.  All that I know of were shot in the United States.

jazz funeral parade in New Orleans

There is no narration.  He doesn't try to explain what you are seeing - which has its good points and its not so good points, but what the hey, they are colorful, the people in them speak for themselves, and there is really a lot of great music in his work.

The Chenier brothers' cajun group.  Clifton (far right) is featured in
one of Les Blank's videos & the group was recorded by El Cerrito's
Armhole Records.

He died in 2013, and his family and supporters have produced a major compendium of his work with five DVDs, a booklet, and in addition to the documentaries, lots of extras like shorts made out of unused footage, and interviews with family and friends (really interesting interviews).

Mardi Gras Indian (in New Orleans)

I am now on the third DVD.  Since I come from the Carolinas and grew up in New Orleans, my favorites are the ones about music from those areas:  the jazz funerals in New Orleans, the Big Bad Indians from Tchoupitoulas Street, Lightin' Hopkins, the moonshine-making blue grass players, things like that.

Bluegrass fiddler:  Fiddlin' Bill Henseley

You'll want to check these out.  The series is called "Always for Pleasure," and you can buy it locally at Down Home Music, etc., or on line at Amazon.com and other places.

One more image of a jazz funeral in New Orleans.  Hey, it's my hometown.

__________________
Eve A. Ma in currently in California where she is editing material about Afro-Peruvians she shot in Peru last December;  looking for funding for a documentary about flamenco;  and getting the word out about three works she recently completed (about Spanish immigrants, about Afro-Peruvians, and a drama about the economic crisis in Spain).  Sign up for the newsletter to learn about her work LINK.