The Staple Singers

REJOICE AND SHOUT is the definitive history of GOSPEL music - some of the most emotional and powerful music in the world, and the foundation of the blues, country and rock n' roll. Packed with evocative photos, rare audio, recordings, stirring film appearances and TV performances, REJOICE AND SHOUT is a jubilant journey through the 200 year musical history of African-American Christianity. Culled from hundreds of hours of music, REJOICE AND SHOUT features interviews and performances from the most celebrated voices in gospel music, including: Smokey Robinson, Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Andrae Crouch, The Blind Boys of Alabama, the Selvey Family, Darrel Petties and many more. REJOICE AND SHOUT traces the evolution of Gospel through its many musical styles - the spirituals and early hymns, the four-part harmony-based quartets, the integration of blues and swing into Gospel, the emergence of Soul, and the blending of Rap and Hip Hop elements. Gospel music walks in step with the story of African-American culture - slavery, hardscrabble rural existence and plantation work, the exodus to major cities, the Depression, World War II, civil rights and empowerment. REJOICE AND SHOUT connects the history of African-American culture with Gospel as it first impacted popular culture at large. Years in the making, REJOICE AND SHOUT captures so much of what is special about this music and African-American Christianity - the sermonizing, the heartfelt testimonials, getting slain in the spirit, the hard hollering, and of course the inspiring music.

No wonder the music is so beautiful. God's on their side. REJOICE AND SHOUT is the definitive history of GOSPEL music - some of the most emotional and powerful music in the world, and the foundation of the blues, country and rock n' roll. Packed with evocative photos, rare audio, recordings, stirring film appearances and TV performances, REJOICE AND SHOUT is a jubilant journey through the 200 year musical history of African-American Christianity. Culled from hundreds of hours of music, REJOICE AND SHOUT features interviews and performances from the most celebrated voices in gospel music, including: Smokey Robinson, Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Andrae Crouch, The Blind Boys of Alabama, the Selvey Family, Darrel Petties and many more. REJOICE AND SHOUT traces the evolution of Gospel through its many musical styles the spirituals and early hymns, the four-part harmony-based quartets, the integration of blues and swing into Gospel, the emergence of Soul, and the blending of Rap and Hip Hop elements. Gospel music walks in step with the story of African-American culture slavery, hardscrabble rural existence and plantation work, the exodus to major cities, the Depression, World War II, civil rights and empowerment. REJOICE AND SHOUT connects the history of African-American culture with Gospel as it first impacted popular culture at large. Years in the making, REJOICE AND SHOUT captures so much of what is special about this music and African-American Christianity the sermonizing, the heartfelt testimonials, getting slain in the spirit, the hard hollering, and of course the inspiring music.

The trailer for Rejoice and Shout which will play at the 2010 San Francisco Film Festival. Rejoice and Shout traces the 200-year history of gospel music through a meticulous combination of archival footage, rare recordings and interviews with the biggest names in the field. There s also, naturally, lots of great music, and it s infectious. Veteran music documentarian Don McGlynn treats these songs with the same reverence the singers do, giving them pride of place. After all, this isn t pop music although gospel s certainly influenced plenty of pop acts it s the music of a people, a religion, a culture. Gospel, which began in the 1800s when plantation owners forced slaves to go to church, continued to develop over the years as it spread throughout the country. Gospel music is what s kept us afloat, says Mavis Staples. These songs are celebratory and necessary, steeped in the African American tradition, and this documentary captures all of that as McGlynn carefully presents the context and stories behind the music and the performers. Aficionados will be familiar with acts like the Golden Gate Quartet, the Utica Quartet, the Dixie Hummingbirds and Sister Rosetta Tharpe although the early footage here has rarely been seen but for those that aren t, this film will be a revelation. The legends are here too: Mahalia Jackson, Smokey Robinson, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Staple Singers. Foot-stomping and hand-clapping likely will start from the opening credits.

Trailer for the documentary The Last Waltz. In what just might be the finest rock & roll concert film ever, The Last Waltz celebrates the final performance by the Band (Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Garth Hudson). The show took place on Thanksgiving Day in 1976, at San Francisco's Winterland Arena--where the group had played their very first show more than 16 years before. In order to make their farewell even more unforgettable, they recruited numerous guests to join them onstage, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Hawkins, Paul Butterfield, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, the Staple Singers, Dr. John, Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Martin Scorsese, a former roommate of Robbie Robertson's, employs some of the world's greatest cinematographers--including Michael Chapman, Vilmos Zsigmond, and Laszlo Kovacs--to film the set in a way that captures the show's sweat and energy with a powerful intimacy. Interspersed into the songs are a series of interviews with the Band's members, who recall their early days playing for empty bars and their emergence as major players in the rock & roll game. The Last Waltz is a thrilling concert film, mandatory viewing even for those unfamiliar with the Band or rock music in general.