FILM REVIEW

Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll

By Mark Jacobsohn

This is a well-executed documentary on the legendary 12-string guitarist, Lead Belly. I was fortunate to attend the New York City premiere of this highly charged, informative documentary.

Lead Belly did not necessarily invent Rock and Roll, but according to the film’s producer Alvin Singh II, he was a major influencer to a multitude of accomplished musicians. These include The Beatles, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, The Weavers, Janis Joplin, Little Richard, and many more. With on-camera appearances by B.B. King, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, and Odetta, most of whom are unfortunately no longer with us, we get a front-row seat to Lead Belly’s remarkable and fraught life.

In addition to these luminaries, we have the testimonies of Tiny Robinson, niece of Lead Belly, and the ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, whose father made Lead Belly a household name. Their accounts create a narrative of a man whose life was extraordinary. Robinson, who helped publish Lead Belly, a Life in Pictures, reflects candidly about what made her uncle so engrossing yet always on the cusp of destruction, having served several prison sentences.

Alan Lomax, the son of John A. Lomax, a pioneering musicologist and folklorist who did much to preserve American folk music, speaks candidly about his father’s discovery of Lead Belly and their on-and-off relationship. John Lomax first met Lead Belly in 1933 while recording folk music at Angola Prison in Louisiana. After Lead Belly’s release from prison in 1934, he offered his services to John Lomax as a driver, cook, and assistant. Lomax accepted, and they traveled together collecting folk song recordings. In retrospect, Lomax’s treatment of Lead Belly is inexcusable, and the documentary serves as a reminder of the 1930s, still very much in the grip of Jim Crow.

In January 1935, Lead Belly signed a management contract with John Lomax. Their working relationship quickly soured. Lead Belly became frustrated with Lomax’s control over finances and music choices. The relationship was marked by racial and power dynamics of the time, with Lomax exerting control over Lead Belly’s career and image in ways that eventually led to conflict between them. Fortunately, his son Alan Lomax was more supportive of Lead Belly’s career and the preservation of his music recordings.

For me, a revelation of the documentary was Lead Belly’s journey to New York City and the fact that he lived in the Village for some of that time. Lead Belly arrived in New York City at the age of 47, after being released from prison in Angola, Louisiana. Unlike many other bluesmen who had family networks in other cities, Lead Belly did not have such support in New York. Despite initial struggles, Lead Belly became part of the folk music scene in New York, associating with figures like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Throughout his time in New York, Lead Belly continued recording and performing, primarily for white, folk-revival audiences, though he didn’t achieve significant commercial success during his lifetime.

Director Curt Hahn and producer Alvin Singh II do a masterful job assembling one-of-a-kind archival material and creating a penetrating narrative arc. Hahn’s work on this documentary is part of his broader filmography, which includes other projects such as No Regrets, Deadline, and Jubilee. Through his production company Transcendent, a subsidiary of Film House, Hahn has focused on creating inspiring and uplifting films that tell meaningful stories.

Singh is the Director of the Lead Belly Foundation and Lead Belly’s great-nephew. He has been involved in preserving and promoting the legacy of Lead Belly. His personal connection to Lead Belly, discovered later in life, inspired him to share the musician’s story with a broader audience.

The premiere screening that I attended was part of the annual The Village Trip, and was screened at City Winery. The show was followed by a Q&A with Singh and Anna Canoni, Vice-President of Woody Guthrie Publications. Anna is the daughter of Nora Guthrie and granddaughter of Woody and Marjory Guthrie. Their discussion featured details about the making of the film and highlighted the close relationship that Woody Guthrie had with Lead Belly.

The archival photos, film footage, and preserved music alone are worth the price of admission. The incredible interviews with legendary musicians that cannot be replicated anymore provide an additional reason to look out for this valuable documentary. Finally, the narrative arc of this film will greatly enhance your knowledge about this iconic American Master.

Be on the lookout for this film. Hopefully, it will screen soon at one of our Village art theaters. Whether Lead Belly invented rock and roll is not a concern for me. I just know that the legacy of Lead Belly lives on, and that you and I are so much richer for that.