Cadillac Records – Contract Signing

Release Date: December 05, 2008 Genre: Drama Cast: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Beyoncé Knowles, Gabrielle Union, Columbus Short, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Cedric the Entertainer Director: Darnell Martin Producers: Andrew Lack, Sofia Sondervan Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: CADILLAC RECORDS chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s, the film follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America’s greatest musical legends. The story of how the blues became popular and gave birth to rock and roll begins at a dingy bar on the rough South Side of Chicago in 1947, where an ambitious young Polish émigré, bar owner Leonard Chess (Academy Award-winner ADRIEN BRODY), hires a talented but undisciplined blues combo that includes quiet and thoughtful guitar prodigy Muddy Waters (JEFFREY WRIGHT) and impulsive and colorful harmonica player Little Walter (COLUMBUS SHORT). Fascinated by the sound of the music and eager to cash in on the burgeoning record business, Chess arranges a recording session for Waters. Waters’ early recordings start moving up the R&B charts and receiving heavy play. Chess treats his musicians like family – he buys them a Cadillac when they record their first hit record – although the line between business and personal sometimes causes conflict with his increasingly talented and successful stable of artists. After backing up Muddy on his early recordings …

Edmundo Ros was born in Trinidad in December 1910. The family moved to Caracas, Venezuela. Edmundo’s musical career started in the army, then he became the tympanist in the Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. He moved to London in 1937 to continue classical studies, but popular music was to become his career. He played drums in the Fats Waller recordings, played percussion and sang in Don Marino Barreto’s Cuban band and formed his five-piece Rumba Band in 1940, and the rest is history. Edmundo’s Rumba Band with strange rhythms was a smash hit in London, although the Nazi bomb almost hit the club. His first recording for Parlophone was Record of the Month in June 1941 (Harlequin HQ CD 15). The contract with the famed Bagatelle Restaurant opened the doors for Ros to high society. All the leaders of Allied Countries and the Royal Family came there to dine and listen to Edmundo’s Rumba Band. In 1951 Edmundo bought the famous Coconut Grove and named it “Edmundo Ros Dinner and Supper Club”. Only those mentioned in “Who’s Who” were allowed in the club. The Club was world famous and the BBC had regular raio broadcasts there. In the late 1950’s Ros got a smart idea of recording Broadway musical melodies arranged to different Latin rhythms: the mambo, cha cha cha, rumba, samba, baion, bolero, valse creole, meringe, guaracha, and the conga. He also made a series of TV shows for the US and European markets. The 1960’s was the the peak of Edmundo Ros’ popularity and commercial success …
Video Rating: 4 / 5