Customer Reviews

Music From & Recorded For The Motion Picture The Great Debaters

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD is such a great find.I haven't seen the movie yet but wanted the soundtrack after I heard a single track on the radio.If you like down home gospel,rhythm and blues get set for ear candy.

The perfect Saturday night, Sunday morning CD. Sexy, Soulful and Signifying-- the delicious deep throated elegance of Sharon Jones previously known for her work with the Dap Kings...but here wrapped around Alvin Youngblood Hart from the part of Memphis that makes it the capitol of Mississippi, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops...these recordings shout back to the past and out to the future...showing us where blues has been and where it wants to go...hotter than Saturday night and cleaner than Sunday morning it will get you dancing around your own kitchen and loving on somebody.

If you haven't seen the movie, you should. In my opinion, "The Great Debaters" was one of 2007's best and sadly underrated.

The music's a mix of gospel, blues, and soul from Memphis to Carolina. You've got old time greats like Alvin Youngblood and folks who you'll see on the current charts like Sharon Jones.

"That's what my Baby Likes," (Sharon Jones) is a strong bluesy song about a man treating the woman he loves like the queen she deserves to be.

I'd never heard the Carolina Chocolate Drops before and I wish there was more than just "I've Got Blood in my Eyes for You," on this collection. Great old timey music sounds like it just came off someone's Victrola.

"The Shout" by Art Tatum is an original recording of the ragtime instrumental. Dare you to sit still and listen to this song.

The music's Sunday morning uplifting to Saturday down and dirty fun. Give the samples a listen--and if you haven't seen the film, check it out as well:

The Great Debaters (2-Disc Special Collector's Edition)

The producers: from acting to directing to being in charge, Denzel and Oprah unearth a piece of our history with 'The Great Debaters'.(Denzel Washington ... story): An article from: Ebony


Rebecca Kyle, June 2008

I saw the movie and loved the music. When I got the CD and listened to it. I thought it was ok. Didn't seem to have the energy that the music had in the film. Maybe I'll give it a listen again.........I love gospel music but this CD didn't give me goose bumps.

Without question, Alvin Youngblood Hart is the greatest living Bluesman. On this cd, he does many songs we're very familiar with, as well as "Busy Bootin'", an obscure, hilarious track by the great Kokomo Arnold, who is highly under-rated. The Carolina Chocolate Drops work great with Alvin, the Art Tatum track is a real treat, and the closing song is simply jaw-dropping. My only complaint is that Hart, or, apparently, Denzel Washington, chose such well-known Blues material, with the exception of "Busy Bootin'", and not material which hasn't been covered by many people. Also, we didn't need another version of Bukka White's "How Long Before I Can Change My Clothes?". In the end, this is an excellent disc, which accompanies a decent but not great film.

This is an awesome soundtrack. It is fun and enjoyable to listen to. The best songs on this soundtrack are all of them

THE OPENING SONG "MY SOUL IS A WITNESS" IS AS POWERFUL AS ANY I HAVE HEARD--I TIP MY HAT TO THE EXCELLENT REVIEWERS WHO ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN I AM--MAYBE SOME OF THE SONGS ARE COVERS; SO BE IT NOT ONLY DO I WANT THIS ALBUM BUT OTHER ALBUMS WITH HART AND JONES. I CAN IMAGINE THE SOUL STIRRERS SINGING IT--OR FOR THAT MATTER LITTLE RICHARD.
FURTHERMORE--GIVEN THE OBSCENE IGNORANCE REGARDING THE SHARECROPPERS UNION AND MARTYRS LIKE RALPH GRAY OR J.W. DAVIS I THINK THE GREAT DEBATERS IS A VERY IMPORTANT FILM. I DOUBT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ELAINE MASSACRE OF 1919--I FELL OUT OF MY CHAIR WHEN IT WAS MENTIONED--HATS OFF TO DENZEL WASHINGTON! HOSEA HUDSON AND NED COBB WOULD BE PLEASED.
WASHINGTON HAS COMPILED ONE OF THE BEST SCORES I HAVE EVER HEARD--I AM LOOKING FOR ANY CD'S HART AND JONES MIGHT HAVE DONE. AGAIN A GREAT MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO THE HIDDEN "CIVIL RIGHTS" STRUGGLE

I really enjoyed the music when we went and saw the movie. The CD is fun to listen too.

can't find this product in any stores, in this quanity. So much easier to order and fast!