Director (and piano player) Clint Eastwood explores his life-long passion for piano blues, using a treasure trove of rare historical footage in addition to interviews and performances by such living legends as Pinetop Perkins and Jay McShann.
Singer/pianist Marcia Ball was online Monday, Sept. 8 at Noon ET, to discuss the blues, the documentary series and the episode in which she appears.
About This Series: Under the guiding vision of Executive Producer Martin Scorsese, seven directors explore the blues through their own personal styles and perspectives. The films in the series are motivated by a central theme: how the blues evolved from parochial folk tunes to a universal language. Series premieres Sept. 28 on PBS (check local listings).
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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washingtonpost.com:
Marcia, you appear in Clint Eastwood's "Piano Blues" installment of the series. Tell us about that episode -- how you figured in telling the story and what it was like working with Eastwood.
Marcia Ball: Well, the piano episode will I'm sure go all the way back to early ragtime and boogie woogie and all the way forward into the present day. I'm somewhere in between at this point. I'm considered part of the younger blues generation, but there's another generation coming up behind me with others playing the blues.
Working with Eastwood was a real pleasure. He's first of all nice and he -- when I was out at the filming of my segment which was at his place in Carmel, Hancock Perkins and Jay McShan were out there. He was very interested in them and what they did on that show.
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Virginia Beach, Va.:
Steve Dickens
Blues News & Natchel Blues Network
Hi Marcia. In your opinion, what part of your conversation with Clint Eastwood seemed most relevant to Piano Blues and will we see any of your live performances?
Marcia Ball: Well, actually I look back on my involvement with frustration because of all the things I wish I had said it would be very usual in a situation like that -- you get one shot. We talked about a lot of different players and their importance -- some of the New Orleans and Chicago players. So that contribution, maybe I turned a light on in any way. I talked about particularly Katy Webster and Carol Frann who are two women I admired, mentors of mine. So I hope that that's interesting.
Only in about -- and I'm not sure what's in the show at this point. But what we did was sit around the table and play a little bit. But I don't think they're going to do any video of me playing with my group.
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Boston, Mass.:
Marcia, saw you in Kansas City several times. Fantastic every time! My question. Where do you see the future of women in Blues? Do you see the next generation of Blueswomen coming up?
Marcia Ball: Well I definitely see a next generation of women coming up. I'm hoping this film shines a little light on the blues. We're not in our most visible stage -- we need a torchbearer to come along and catch the public's imagination. Although the blues and blues players have a solid core following and some very strong festivals and some radio across various formats throughout Americana and adult contemporary. But Sue Foley specifically, Susan Tedeski, a wonderful young woman named Eve Monses. In many communities around here -- Jeannine Wilson in D.C. -- they're coming up and they want to play blues.
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Alexandria, Va.:
It seems to me that the melodic conventions of the blues are so restrictive that there are only a few dozen blues tunes possible, and they have all been written.
Is it possible to compose a new blues melody?
Marcia Ball: Well, I'm not a purist and I agree that if you lock the blues into that small box of 12 or 16 bars and 3 chords then you have ended all creative possibilities, but if you listen to Slim Harpo or little Milton or J.B. Lenoir or if you explore the offshoots of The Blues and go into R&B and soul -- New Orleans style, Kansas City, Memphis style -- the possibilities are endless and totally entertaining.
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Helsinki, Finland:
Actually, rather than a question, would like to get a message through to Marcia, whom I met when she played here last June. Would like to send her some clippings from the local press on that concert, but need mailing and /or electronic address
Would appreciate your passing this message
Rob Weisberg, U.S. Embassy Helsinki
Marcia Ball: It's Marcia@marciaball.com and hello back!
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Levant, Maine:
Are you interested in returning to the North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland, Maine? I saw you there a few years ago and would love to see you again!;
Marcia Ball: Absolutely and this goes back to the women's question -- this show was headlined by women -- as was the one in Finland. The one in Finland was Bonnie Raitt and Koko Taylor.
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Boston, Mass.:
Hi Marcia, I'm a huge fan of yours and look
forward to seeing you every year at
JazzFest! I am curious if you can share
any insight into why there are not more
women playing the piano blues?
Marcia Ball: Well, I think its cultural -- completely. There used to be a piano in most homes where the television sits now and it really is difficult unless you have someone in your family who plays. I was on the cusp of that generation. So unless there's that, there's no impetus and music is not stressed in schools enough. There's a lot of controversy about funding for music -- which means we'll run smack out of symphony orchestras. Rock and roll comes from a different place -- your brother's record collection.
So its just a de-emphasis in the availability of pianos and the stressing of talent and music needs to be played around the home. Practically everybody I can think of came up in homes where music was played. If TV reigns supreme, it'll be an oddity for a kid to come up playing the piano.
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Boston, Mass.:
Besides "Piano Blues," which of the other
Scorsese films from his series are you
looking forward to seeing?
Marcia Ball: I've only heard about the Wim Wenders and that its supposed to be amazing. But that's the only one I've heard anything about.
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New York, N.Y.:
When will the Long Tall Marcia Ball Band put out a live CD?
From Barry & Nancy Birnbaum,
Two of the original NYC Big Shots.
Marcia Ball: I need to do it! I can't say when cause I don't know, but definitely on the top of my to-do list. Note to self!
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Harrisburg, Pa.:
I am glad the blues is receiving greater recognition. How do you become involved with this project? Realizing there are time limitations, what things do you believe could have been added further to this?
Marcia Ball: Well, the mechanics of it I think were probably that the producers were working with Rounder and Alligator records -- my labels -- and that's where they started to explore current blues artists and my name came up. It's not a huge club especially among piano players. Then one of Clint's producers called and that always gets your attention. When someone says "Mr. Eastwood wants to talk to you."
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Marcia,
Which blues pianists/singers have influenced your musical style, composition and performance?
How many hours per day or week do to you and your band practice together to prepare for your concerts?
Do you balance your traveling schedule, quiet time for creating your own music and home life by limiting the number of performances each year? Do you have a family (other than your band)?
When will you be in the Washington, D.C./Balitmore during the next year or so? (We've seen you at the Birchmere and Wolf Trap this year. Thanks for playing Louella and Honey Pie at Wolf Trap! I sing along with your tapes every day during my commute.)
I'm looking forward to the documentary series on PBS. Keep on singin'!
Marcia Ball: My personal style -- and its not pure blues -- was most influenced by Professor Longhair with generous influences of Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. My song-writing style probably owes more to Alan Toussant than anyone -- he's the one I aspire to write like. Someone else who style I aspire to Dan Penn.
We don't rehearse all that much. We learn a batch of songs, sometimes we if we want to learn a new song a lot of times we'll put it together before a gig at soundcheck. We've worked together for quite some time.
Yes I do have a family, a dog, a house, a son getting married in October. I have a very active homelife and I balance it with my work about as well as anyone else. When my children were young, my son and my step-children I didn't travel as much as I do now, so I did tailor my worklife to accommodate my family.
We're considering a New Year's Eve date, but its not set yet. Hopefully there'll be other dates in the region.
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Helena, Ark.:
As a teacher in the Mississippi Delta (home of the Blues), I want to give my students a greater appreciation for the Blues because it has so many important repercussions for our area. What do you think is the one most important thing students can take away from any study on the Blues and the people involved in it?
Marcia Ball: First of all, the blues can make you think about rising above your troubles -- dealing with them, expressing them. It's just a way to exorcise the devils in your life.
Part two is that the blues brings people together across race, economic and social lines and that's a wonderful thing in this world.
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Charlevoix, Mich.:
Who are some of the up-and-coming blues musicians who are still under the radar today?
Marcia Ball: Gary Clark, Tommy Castro -- although he's making a move. He's younger and wonderful. Jeannine Wilson, who we mentioned. They're out there in every community. One good thing to do would be to subscribe to a blues magazine like "Blues Review" if you're interested in knowing who's out there and what they're doing. They have the festival issue, they have reviews of practically every record that comes out. There's also "Blues Rag" -- I'm sure they're all online.
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Columbia, S.C.:
How much influence did Professor Longhair have on you?
Marcia Ball: When I first heard his stuff -- and before I even knew his name -- I heard a song covered by someone else and I was just struck by it right away, I had to find out more about him and that was in the late '70s. From then on I was devoted to hearing him, learning songs of his and got to see him one time.
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Oak Park, Ill.:
What exactly is "stride" piano and who in your estimation are some of its greatest practitioners? Can you play something to demonstrate?
Marcia Ball: Stride is considered -- rather than boogie woogie which is a left-handed train rythym pattern -- it consists of a double note like an octave then a chord alternating. Art Tatum is probably the best that ever was.
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Cuernavaca, Mexico:
I love your work. What do you think about the role of the woman in the blues history?
Marcia Ball: Actually women in the blues were huge. The first big recording artists were women -- Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie -- they were all huge. Ethel Waters, in New Orleans Annie Laurie and there were just many women blues artists. They influenced many of us like Janis Joplin -- she credits Bessie Smith. Lucinda Williams credits Memphis Minnie.
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Marcia Ball: Watch The Blues! You'll be glad you did. I hope that it creates a surge of interest in the Blues. It's a good style of music for the whole family. It really is. It's American music and these festivals have been wonderful and are wonderful family experience.
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