Lightning in a Bottle

In February 2003 a one-night concert called Salute to the Blues was staged at Radio City Music Hall, meant to run through a century of the music in a single evening. The documentary is the record of that night: B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples and dozens more, including pairings across generations. Antoine Fuqua directed. It has nothing in common with the work he is known for, Training Day and King Arthur, and remains his one major documentary. Martin Scorsese is among the producers. The film works as a concert record rather than a history lesson. Short links sit between the songs but there is no narrator; what holds it together is the generational distance between the musicians sharing the stage. An album from the same night was released as Lightning in a Bottle: A One Night History of the Blues. Who it is for: anyone who likes the blues and live recordings, particularly to see B.B. King and Buddy Guy on one stage. Who it is not for: anyone wanting to learn the history of the form. The film leaves the songs to speak and explains nothing to a listener who does not already know how to listen.