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Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World by Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana (review)

2018; Volume: 48; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/flm.2018.0031

1548-9922

Tom Shaker,

Music History and Culture

Reviewed by: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World by Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana Tom Shaker Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (2017) Written and Directed by Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana Distributed by Rezolution Pictures www.rumblethemovie.com 103 Minutes Who would have thought that after watching a music documentary about Native Americans’ influence on pop music that you would listen to Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes” completely differently. I did. And, so will you. Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, is an enlightening and engaging film that will leave you with an appreciation for Native American musicians and their stories. Much like the Oscar-winning 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) a few years back, this film brings to the public eye little known history, stories and, more importantly, great music. From the early blues of Charley Patton, to the jazz stylings of vocalist Mildred Bailey, to Fred Lincoln “Link” Wray, and on to pop, folk, heavy metal, and hip-hop music; Native American influence has been there all the time. While this has never been a secret, filmmakers Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana bring this interesting story to great life, interweaving stock footage, archival photos, entertaining interviews, and unforgettable music to create something bigger than the individual profiles that they offer. The film is framed around the only instrumental that was ever banned on the radio, 1958’s delinquent teen anthem “Rumble,” written and performed by Link Wray and His Ray Men. Never heard on the radio before, his distinctively aggressive and distorted sound scared [End Page 17] parents and authority figures everywhere. Wray, from Shawnee decent, was there at rock’s beginnings. As the film so richly and poignantly displays, without Ray, rock and roll as we know it might not even exist. The filmmakers place a split screen image of Wray next to Pete Townsend’s well-known bowling-style guitar playing and it’s easy to see where that style originated. When Wayne Kramer, guitarist for Detroit’s legendary band The MC5 reminisces about growing up hearing Wray’s guitar sound he confides, “The sound of his guitar embodied all of my aspirations, it was the sound of freedom.” Robbie Robertson, who is part Mohawk, is even more direct. “Rumble…it changed everything. It made an indelible mark on the evolution of where rock and roll was gonna go.” One of the strong points of this documentary, if not its strongest, is the wealth of interviews that the filmmakers were able to include, featuring Martin Scorsese, George Clinton, Iggy Pop, Little Steven, Taj Mahal, Marky Ramone, the list goes on and on. These entertaining, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable artists provide some of the film’s most memorable moments. There is a lot of information in this film that few viewers, even real music enthusiasts, would know. A segment on Charlie Patton (part Cherokee, part African-American), considered “The Father of the Delta Blues” was a revelation. Being able to hear and see his influence on another African-American Indian by the name of Jimi Hendrix provided important context to Hendrix’s contributions to American music. Similarly, a clip from 1965’s Shindig! musical television program allows contemporary audiences to watch as The Rolling Stones introduce one of their major influences, blues legend Howlin’ Wolf (part Choctaw), and sit in silence as he performs. The surprising musical connections continue to be revealed throughout the film, with Native American jazz singer Mildred Bailey, one of the most popular vocalists of the 1920s and ‘30s. Bailey influenced a young Tony Bennett who unequivocally states, “I was completely influenced by Mildred Bailey. She sang perfect for me.” Brothers Pat and Lully Vegas, who are part Cherokee, formed a more “visible” Native American band, Redbone, in the 1970s. Redbone’s music recently experienced a rebirth thanks to the film Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014), which featured their classic song “Come and Get Your Love” (1974). The film features a performance by Redbone on the late-night television show Midnight Special, where the band begins by performing Native American drumming and dancing before moving into their hit single. Looking back, it’s a moving tribute to their roots. Segments...