Cadillac Records - A Look at Chicago

I missed this film in the movie theaters so I decided when the DVD was released I would be one of the first to get it. And when I looked at the movie I was impressed about the route that the writer and director took in developing the story about Blues greats, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf and Etta James.

The story takes a look at the "Chess Record" Company the artists, it's owner and the business practice of paying royalties with Cadillac Cars. The story was so compelling to me that I had to go down to 2012 S. Michigan to look at the original Chess Studios which is now the Willie Dixon Blues Museum. Ironically, for many years I was a visitor to the area on a regular basis. My mother in the late seventies and mid 80's lived right across the street in the 2101 S. Michigan building. I did not realize I was so close to history.

I watched Cadillac Records 3 times. I was so impressed with the acting of Columbus Short as "Little Walter" and the relationship he had with Muddy Waters. The film did a decent job of bringing forward the relationship between the two as well as the genius of the individual musicians. In addition, to Waters and Little Walter, "Howlin Wolf" was one heck of a man, I mean Wolf was bad, in a good way. I have always loved "Smoke Stack Lighting" and I don't know why, but I fell in love with even more so when I saw the story behind how the song came about. The film showed a little bit of everything. To really tell the Chess Story would have taken an epic undertaking like "Roots"a mini series. So much was said yet so much was left unsaid.

Now I won't get into the Beyonce and Etta James thing but I had to listen to the original songs sung by Etta. Now I understand why she was tapped as the first lady of Soul.Etta James is one great singer. Despite the nay sayers I enjoyed Cadillac Records.