WILLIE KING DVD - AVAILABLE NOW!!!!

Nominated for the Blues Music Award 2008

Visible World Films has released "Down in the Woods", a DVD about the life and music of Alabama bluesman Willie King. The film takes viewers on a journey into Willie's world . Willie is a backwood, juke-joint musician who lives and breathes the blues every moment of his life.
The DVD contains a 63-minute documentary and 40 minutes of live music and is available at Visible World Films webstore and at Willie King's webstore.

Saskia Rietmeijer and Bart Drolenga came to America with the intention of producing a documentary about African American arts and culture in the deep South. When they met Willie they were so impressed that they decided instead to devote their efforts to creating a DVD about Willie's life and times.

The DVD is a fascinating voyage into Willie King's life in the deep South and his many activities, illuminated with searing live performances and encounters with family, friends, fellow musicians like T-Model Ford and music experts such as Peter Guralnick.
It enables the viewer to experience what it is like to be a bluesman living in the Alabama Black Belt, "down in the woods."

Born on a cotton plantation in 1943 the son of poor sharecroppers, Willie was drawn to the blues at an early age. He made his first guitar out of bailing wire when he was seven and has been playing ever since. Cotton picker, moon shiner, juke joint owner, civil rights activist and social worker, Willie has done them all and now is one of the most popular blues musicians around.

He plays big stages and festivals but always returns to his beloved Old Memphis, a small and mostly African-American community in rural Alabama where he lives in an old trailer and preaches the blues at house parties and in ramshackle juke joints.
Willie spends much of his time supporting his local community and teaching young people the traditional culture and survival skills passed on to him from his people's share cropping and slave ancestors.

Willie King is one of the true innovators of the blues in the tradition of Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker. His music is powerful, an exciting, danceable mix of rural blues, soul and boogie, all in his own distinctive style. King's lyrics are often political, fighting racism and a voice for poor blacks in the South. He preaches a message of peace, togetherness and social justice for all people around the world.

www.willie-king.com
Kristin mamrack's article on the DVD: www.cdispatch.com

DOWN IN THE WOODS

Every Sunday night Betties Place, a little ramshackle juke joint near Prairie Point, Mississippi, transforms in a hot and steaming dancehall. The air is wet and sticky. Willie King is preaching the blues and the crowd dances wildly, agreeing loudly with King’s messages.
“The blues is not made by man.” Willie King says. “It was sent down in the form of a spirit to help heal people and help them cope with the circumstances they are in.”
Willie King is often referred to as the “Bob Marley of the blues”. Willie King calls his music the “strugglin’ blues”. His lyrics are often political, fighting racism and a voice for the poor blacks in the South.
Just a couple of miles away from Betties, in Old Memphis, Alabama, lies a little trailer park. A few mobile homes scattered on a piece of land called Freedom Creek. Willie lives here with Mary, Mary’s daughter and grandchildren and Willie’s cousins Berry, who is physically disabled and Bill, who spent 41 years in prison.
The band grooves, Willie King gets off the stage and walks into the audience playing his guitar. Women’s buttocks caress his guitar, hips and breasts are shaking. Willie’s music is nothing short of spectacular. It is an exciting danceable mix of rural blues, soul and boogie, all in Willie King’s own distinctive style.

Cotton picker, moon shiner, juke joint owner, civil rights activist and social worker, Willie has done them all. Now he is one of the most popular blues musicians around. He plays the big stages and festivals but in spite of his success Willie has chosen to stay and live in the woods, close to nature and his people. “It is important to pass down the old traditions of the ancestors, the African Americans living on the plantations, to the young people. There is nothing to do here in the rural areas, there is unemployment, drug abuse and crime.” Willie King says. “The sense of community we had back in the day and our survival skills can help the younger ones and create opportunities and jobs.”
Willie King was born on a cotton plantation in Prairie Point in 1943 the son of poor sharecroppers. “You barely lived back then, you existed.” Willie says while he visits the place where he was born. “Sharecropping was just another form of slavery. In debt all the time, you had to find ways to survive and earn some money. Gardening, berry picking, preserving, quilting, woodworking and music are all part of our cultural heritage. I call them survival skills. I believe teaching these skills to the young people will benefit them. We can sell beautiful quilts, preserves and woodwork on the internet and generate money for the community.”

Guest appearance by T-Model Ford.

Available on DVD