RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World (documentary)

It's being broadcast on the PBS program Independent Lens for those having trouble finding it.

 

Hello there. I have been sporting this avatar for a couple of months now.

 

BTW I spoke with the french co-producer and distributor, and they are well aware that the documentary itself doesn't cover all of Native Americans' history with popular music -they had to make heartbreaking choices in cutting some parts to keep the length under 2 hours. They have hours upon hours of fantastic interviews and, if the film does well, they plan on releasing them one way or another.

 

I noticed this film is also available on the free streaming app Kanopy. All you need is a current membership at any public library.

 

This looks fascinating. I'm glad that there's more artists than just Redbone.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. For those of us who cannot watch it tonight on PBS, it is also available on Amazon. If you're Amazon Prime ... it's up and ready to go for free!

Amazon.com: Watch Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World | Prime Video

 

I watched Rumble last night. Especially interesting was Charlie Patton's Native heritage -- which I hadn't known about -- and the way the music he was surrounded by growing up informed his take on the delta blues.

 

I want to see this. At one of Steve Van Zandt's teacher professional developments, they previewed this. They specifically showed Guardians of the Galaxy as the hook to get kids to buy in.

 

I watched last night and found it very enjoyable and informative. Link Wray, leading off the entire show, was the main reason I was interested, but I learned a lot from everything that followed.

As a huge fan, I was particularly pleased to see Howlin' Wolf get a nod (by way of Charlie Patton). They ran a good excerpt of his legendary Shindig! appearance, complete with Brian Jones' intro.

The takeaway — not that it wasn't something I didn't already know well — is that in lives filled with the greatest hardship and oppression, people will turn to music for strength and joy, and nothing anyone can do will suppress this instinct.

 

I think the better question, in 2019, is, "why would the Cleveland Indians be?"

 

Raised about 15 miles from my house. He always said he was Shawnee but there are no Shawnee anywhere near here. The Cohaire are in the area, the Lumbee and several other very small tribes in the general vicinity. When I heard a recording of an interview his voice sounds like Lumbee. Either his family got here out of the blue or it is an example of just how cloudy Native origins can be over time.

 

Finally saw this last night on PBS - fantastic! Was pleased to see Jesse Ed Davis get a lot of screen time.

 

I can't wait to see this! Thanks for the heads up, Kevin!

I'm super fortunate to have been able to seen Link Wray, Jesse Edwin Davis (with Taj Mahal), Jimi Hendrix and Willie Nelson (who is part Cherokee- is he in the documentary?) and absolutely loved them all, so I'm thrilled to hear about this film!

 

I would naturally encourage those of you in the states to watch on your local PBS station, or alternately on the PBS website for Independent Lens:
Stream RUMBLE on PBS

 

Cool doc. Lots of interesting musical supposition. The Charlie Patton native heritage is particularly interesting and Important. The templet he was. Adding the native to his music is so Interesting.

Jesse Ed Davis and Mildred Bailey i didn't know. Hell of a solo by Jesse on Jackson Browns song. What an interesting important player i knew nothing about. Those Taj album i have never heard. i remember Gregg Allman said he heard Taj's, and therefore Jesse's version of Statbourogh Blues that he covered.

I loved the tone and style of Mildred Baily gonna remedey my ignorance of here at Aomeba today. Super cool singer.

Link i have a lot of and his stuff and style is what is my go to. Such a great player.

Didn't know Willie was native. Cool.

Gotta say the interesting thing on native music is i, unprofessionally hear similarities in lots of folk or native music all over. The throat singers emulated the river and nature so did native people all over. And cerimonial music too all over. So some similarites even without any connection seems logical. Even the Bulgarian choirs sound similar somehow to me.

Great doc. Seems to be a 'golden age' of interesting docs in music and otherwise now. This one is well done and interesting but not otherworldly. Loved it though. Brings out some interesting ideas and just the native part being so marginalized all the time this is a good way to bring it to the fore....

 

The Link Wray part is the best part of the movie to me.
He certainly deserves his own.

 

Gregg gave the Taj Mahal record to Duane, and Duane being Duane, he, apparently overnight, taught himself slide guitar from Jesse Ed Davis' take of Statesboro Blues.

 

Also via pbs.org for a while. Unlike Passport, their prohibitive paywall( making folks pay to see what should be like their broadcast content-free). And unlike some alternatives mentioned,free,free,free,free. For a while.

 

Just saw it this evening and it was excellent! Highly recommended!

 

Same with Ace Frehley.

 

Yea, Hendrix being Native i actually never knew. That i kind of glossed over for the ones i had never heard of. But, man that is so cool. Just adds to it all with him.

 

Saw it last week, along with a Korla Pandit doc.

 

Loved that Korla Pandit doc. Well done. Interesting story. And he kept his act up till the end. You can look at it different ways. But, i kinda like that he kept it up. Also interesting he was really a great player but found a niche and milked it. I loved his jelosy of Liberace, this, would make a good plot or part of a plot in a film, i think. The guy who is jealous that Liberace stole his act and got famous. Priceless. The dj on that doc was pretty hip i thought. I listen to him on my local jazz station he is more straight ahead but in this case he like Korla and plays him even though it doesn't really fit the straight ahead jazz. Cool doc.

As an aside my local PBS showed these two docs in a row for a few days and then put a doc called Rat Film in there. That one was really a trip.

 

I love Blackfoot, it was a superb band and at some pint 100% "Native American". "Highway song" IMHO is in top 5 southern rock anthems of all time...

But I wonder why Mexicans are not considered "Native Americans"...