B.B. King: The Life of Riley (May 27th at Tower City Cinemas)

[B. B. KING: THE LIFE OF RILEY screens Tuesday May 27th at 7:30 pm at Tower City Cinemas - 1 showing only!.]

Review by Pete Roche

We’ve all seen pauper-to-prince tales of rock and roll glory depicted in documentaries and concert films on the big screen, but few guitarists boast more humble beginnings than B.B. King.

Born in 1948 in a rickety plantation cabin outside Berclair, Mississippi, the man now known as The King of Blues first had to overcome poverty and racism before conquering the world with his booming voice and signature guitar style.  Now, for the first time ever, B.B. gets the “behind the music” treatment in a new film by director Jon Brewer, who helmed similar features about British rockers like Yes and Moody Blues.

Beware of Mr. Baker (March 8th at the Cleveland Museum of Art)

[BEWARE OF MR. BAKER screens Friday March 8th at 7:00 pm at the Cleveland Museum of Art Morley Lecture Hall.]

Review by Pamela Zoslov

“He is mad.” “Consistently horrible to people.” “A fucking madman.” “The world's greatest drummer.” These are the various ways people describe Ginger Baker in BEWARE OF MR. BAKER, Jay Bulger's thrilling documentary about the legendary drummer best known as one-third of the supergroups Cream and Blind Faith. One speaker says, “I'm surprised he's still living,” expressing a widely held sentiment. When I was a teenager addicted to rock magazines, critics pegged Baker, of the explosive temper and massive heroin habit, an imminent candidate for rock 'n' roll heaven. The laugh's on them. Baker lives on, an irascible 73-year-old, slowed by arthritis and other ailments, in South Africa with his fourth wife, stepchildren and beloved horses and dogs. (The film's title is a play on the sign that warns trespassers away from his property: “BEWARE - MR. BAKER - NO TRESPASS.”)