ETTA JAMES: NOT FEELING BEYONCE ANYMORE

When Cadillac Records came out, Etta James seemed OK with endorsing Beyonce's portrayal of her, vocals and all. But as anyone who has any access to news now knows, Ms. James seems fuming mad over Ms. Knowles' rendition of her signature tune, "At Last," at one of  Barack Obama's inauguration parties.  Etta recently ranted onstage about the performance (and unfortunately, about the President as well). 

The press generally fall all over Beyonce, but that's partially because you're probably not allowed near her unless you are guaranteed to not saying anything negative, or even ask any difficult or uncomfortable questions. So, it's interesting that, about a year after Aretha Franklin ripped B. for calling Tina Turner "The Queen of Soul" at last year's Grammys, Etta James is going on blast also. Or maybe it's just that the real legends aren't buying into Beyonce. 

CADILLAC RECORDS: THUMBS UP

I'm sure there's lots that people can complain about when watching Cadillac Records, the film about Chess Records. For one, Phil Chess, brother of Leonard Chess - they ran the label together - wasn't in the film at all. For another, neither was Bo Diddley, surely one of the most important artists on the label, and of the rock era. I guess both omissions may have been to streamline the story: having just one Chess brother made it more focused, and Chuck Berry represented the rock era overtaking blues, so maybe the producers felt that Bo would have been one character too many. (Or maybe Bo, who once told me that he never made a dime off of record sales, didn't allow the film to use his likeness - and watching this film, you can see why he didn't get paid, or didn't feel that he got paid fairly).

But I loved the film. I thought Jeffrey Wright, an amazing actor, was great as Muddy, Eamonn Walker was incredible as Howlin' Wolf, Mos Def kind of stole his scenes as Chuck Berry and Beyonce was way better than I expected her to be as Etta James. I'd love to see Walker as Howlin' Wolf in his own film, and ditto for Mos Def as Chuck. Or even do like an HBO series of spin-offs. There was a lot I didn't know that I learned watching the film: I knew there was a Muddy/Wolf rivalry, but you really see how it developed in the film. I also didn't know how crazy Little Walter was (and Columbus Short played that role extremely well). Great movie that seems to be in danger of being lost, despite Beyonce's star power. That would be a shame, more people need to see this film: and hopefully it turns people on to the incredible music that Chess brought to the world: the music of Muddy, Wolf, Chuck, Etta, Little Walter, and also Bo, Walter and John Lee Hooker (also not in the film), among many others.

CADILLAC RECORDS TELLS THE CHESS RECORDS STORY

I'm sort of looking forward to seeing Cadillac Records. I'm having a hard time with Beyonce being cast as Etta James. I think her Dreamgirls castmate Jennifer Hudson would have been a better choice, but I'll give it a chance. I'm looking forward to seeing the great Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters and Mos Def as Chuck Berry.

The soundtrack is kind of legit sounding, although taken on its own... well, lets say I can't really imagine anyone reaching for it in five years. That's only because the original versions of the Etta, Berry and Muddy songs are so great, what's the point? I'm sure it works for the movie. But I just listened to Beyonce's "At Last" followed by Etta's. I don't like to be negative, but I think Etta's version is all you need. Chuck Berry's songs are perfection, but I have to say it's funny hearing Mos Def sing them. Anyone in a rock band (Mos fronts a band called Black Jack Johnson) should cover a Chuck Berry song at least once. Jeffrey Wright does a decent job with Muddy's songs, but again, those songs are perfect the way they were. The album ends with Nas ' collaboration with his dad Olu Dara, "Bridging The Gap," which links hip-hop and blues. Hopefully this film will do that, and will turn on young kids to Chess: not just Etta, Chuck and Muddy, but also Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Little Walter, and the other great artists on the label. To me, Chess is the most important record label ever. Yes, more important than Sun.

MOS DEF TO PLAY CHUCK BERRY

The Hollywood Reporter has been reporting (and it's been repeated all over the web) that Mos Def has been cast as Chuck Berry in the upcoming film about Chess Records. I think that's a great bit of casting. I got to interview Mos once, and he loves all kinds of music, including early rock and roll, which he celebrates in "Rock and Roll," off of his 1999 classic solo debut, Black On Both Sides. In it, he sang "Elvis Presley ain't got no soul/Chuck Berry is rock and roll/You may dig on The Rolling Stones/but they ain't come up with that shit on they own." Beyonce is playing Etta James (a bit of casting I'm less down with). But anything that turns younger people on to the awesome music from Chess Records is cool with me. If Mos and Beyonce bring more people to the party, then great. In another cool bit of casting, Jeffrey Wright is playing Muddy Waters. Mos and Wright co-starred in the awesome Broadway production Top Dog/Underdog. I'm looking forward to seeing this movie, big time.