By Cédric Vernet 
To kick off the new year, a brand new show lands on Blues Actu Radio: Cine Blues. Hosted by Cédric Vernet, it will spotlight each month a cult soundtrack mixing blues, rock, folk, soul or country music. For this first episode, we dive into a legendary film that left its mark on the history of blues in cinema. The Blues Brothers, directed in 1980 by John Landis, a high-energy musical comedy where music drives the entire story.
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American Graffiti – Ciné Blues #04 – Ciné Blues
The movie
Jake Blues and Elwood Blues are released from prison and learn that the orphanage where they grew up is about to close due to a lack of funds. They must gather 5,000 dollars quickly. Their idea: reunite their band, hit the road across Chicago and Illinois, and organize a concert to save the place. On their way, everyone seems determined to stop them: law enforcement, ridiculous neo-Nazis, and a vengeful ex-fiancée (Carrie Fisher, yes Princess Leia from Star Wars). But the two brothers in black suits and sunglasses move forward with one strong belief: they are on a mission from God.
The film unfolds through chases, absurd situations and musical scenes designed as full performance numbers.
The soundtrack
Right from the opening with She Caught the Katy, popularized by Taj Mahal, the tone is set: travel, the road, music. Jake Blues and Elwood Blues are surrounded by top-notch musicians: Steve Cropper, Donald Duck Dunn, Matt Guitar Murphy…
Several legendary artists appear in classic scenes: Ray Charles turns a music store into a dance floor with Shake a Tailfeather; Aretha Franklin shows her strength and voice in her own restaurant; James Brown electrifies a church; John Lee Hooker plays right in the street; Cab Calloway brings back the golden age of swing with a great performance of Minnie the Moocher.
The finale brings everyone together on Sweet Home Chicago, a standard associated with Robert Johnson, a Delta musician who never set foot in Chicago but helped turn it into a mythical city. The scene offers the vibe of a real concert captured live, turning the film into a joyful celebration of blues (before a few more setbacks for our two friends).
The anecdote
The Blues Brothers were not created for cinema. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi first formed the duo for Saturday Night Live and even toured before the film. Their album Briefcase Full of Blues was released in 1978, reached platinum status and turned the band into a phenomenon. This explains the musical credibility of the film: on stage and on screen, they really played this music. It was followed by several international tours with The Blues Brothers Band.
With The Blues Brothers, blues stepped out of clubs and into worldwide pop culture. A film that inspired millions of viewers to discover this music, attend concerts and listen to these artists. We hope this first episode makes you want to watch or rewatch the movie.
📻 The first episode of Cine Blues, dedicated to the film, is available on Blues Actu Radio and all podcast platforms: Spotify | Deezer | Amazon Music | Apple Podcast | Podcast Addict. Subscribe to stay tuned. More is coming soon.
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