Synopse
Heavy gait, bent posture, shortness of breath - an old man, wrinkled and slow. But as soon as he hits the strings of his pink guitar and starts singing with the Blue Notes, unforeseen energies are revealed behind the meanwhile 85-year old and weathered facade of Leo "Bud" Welch - a verve inevitably transferred to his listeners. Welch lives life for and through music, the Blues and Gospel, the Lord and the Devil. At an early age he was already closely wedded to his instrument, but he only reached an audience and achieved success beyond his hometown at 82 - and with the help of his enthusiastic manager. His first two studio albums were released, followed by tours across America, concerts in Europe and his first airplane flight.
The achievement of Late Blossom Blues is twofold. On the one hand the film provides an empathetic, honest portrait of this long misunderstood, eccentric genius as he circulates between smoky clubs, doctors´ offices and church services. On the other hand, it interweaves his unique character with the musical world and tradition to which he belongs. Welcome to Mississippi and the South, where the roots of the Blues are to be found – cotton fields, rotting wooden houses, empty streets, a diner, a village, church, a funky Blues joint. The documentary journey passes through rural areas beyond big dazzling cities. But America is also to be found here, where the promise of happiness and above all the social disparities, the dark side of the land of the free, are reflected in the imagery, the music and narratives: a belated success story, a Gulf War veteran - blues existences shaped by poverty, quarrels and drudgery. The vitality, the will to survive and to be alive is all the more amazing, not just on the part of the musician, but also as integral to the whole scene: "Tradition is not the keeping of the ash but the passing on of the flame." (Thomas More) (Michelle Koch)
The achievement of Late Blossom Blues is twofold. On the one hand the film provides an empathetic, honest portrait of this long misunderstood, eccentric genius as he circulates between smoky clubs, doctors´ offices and church services. On the other hand, it interweaves his unique character with the musical world and tradition to which he belongs. Welcome to Mississippi and the South, where the roots of the Blues are to be found – cotton fields, rotting wooden houses, empty streets, a diner, a village, church, a funky Blues joint. The documentary journey passes through rural areas beyond big dazzling cities. But America is also to be found here, where the promise of happiness and above all the social disparities, the dark side of the land of the free, are reflected in the imagery, the music and narratives: a belated success story, a Gulf War veteran - blues existences shaped by poverty, quarrels and drudgery. The vitality, the will to survive and to be alive is all the more amazing, not just on the part of the musician, but also as integral to the whole scene: "Tradition is not the keeping of the ash but the passing on of the flame." (Thomas More) (Michelle Koch)
Trailer
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