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ROBERT MUGGE PRESS QUOTES"To describe
the recent films of the documentarian Robert Mugge as cultural reference
books doesn’t mean to imply that these explorations of the musical byways
of Southern rural America are lacking in pungent musical sap. It’s the
careful balance between music and scholarship that lends Mr. Mugge’s
films a foundation of academic seriousness that flirts with dryness
without becoming mired in trivia. Documents of a flourishing below-the-radar
culture, often involving older musicians who won’t be around much longer,
they are archival records as well as entertainments. For every obscure
blues or folk musician shown performing in his films, there is usually
an expert standing by to explain where this artist or group stands on
the family tree of American vernacular music. Instead of concentrating
on the trunk and larger branches of that tree, Mr. Mugge likes to examine
the smaller branches and even the twigs.” "Filmmaker Robert Mugge has, during the past 25 years, established himself as the
cinema’s foremost music documentarian, with a career that includes more than 20
features chronicling individual performers (Al Green, Sun Ra, Rubén Blades) and
various musical styles (blues, reggae, bluegrass, etc.)...the cinematic equivalent of the
work of important ethnomusicologists like Alan Lomax.”" "Years
from now, when...filmmaker Robert Mugge leaves behind his remarkable
legacy of priceless documentation... musicologists, cultural historians
and just plain folks are going to hail Mugge as a national treasure.
Retrospectives of his work will stretch into the future, providing a
timeless record of artistic expression and pure entertainment.
Just as Alan Lomax made and preserved valuable recordings of Mississippi
Delta blues, Mugge has been traversing the continent for more than 20
years, capturing the music of America - the music that really
matters - on 16mm color film, as performed by the masters of their
chosen forms." "The prevalence of documentaries about musicians is a curse, because most of these films do a terrible job of showcasing music. One rare exception is the work of the director Robert Mugge, whose film ’Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise'...is one of the most satisfying portraits I’ve ever seen. An extraordinary documentary. Revelatory." "Throughout
an illustrious quarter-century career dating back to 16mm docus on George
Crumb, Sun Ra, Al Green, Ruben Blades, Sonny Rollins and many others,
Mugge's movies have been more about the combustible mix of forceful
personalities and powerful music than surface gloss." "Over
the past 25 years, documentary filmmaker Robert Mugge has established
himself as the foremost chronicler of American music, hailed for his
insightful portrayals of such enigmatic figures as Sun Ra, Gil Scott-Heron
and Sonny Rollins. He (has) also created sympathetic documentaries on
various roots music scenes." "The films of Robert Mugge…honor the singular worldviews of their subjects and the important sounds through which they expressed their hearts and minds." "Robert Mugge has made a string of fascinating documentaries...all are
unforgettable portraits of living and working artists." "Robert Mugge has built a formidable reputation on his sympathetic but
insightful portrayals of a variety of musical scenes." "Mugge...has written, produced and directed a string of magnificent
documentary films that are nothing short of wondrous in their purity." "Mugge...(has) made a career of getting the beating heart of great
American roots music at its most soulful and authentic on film." "Mugge
has produced a string of sometimes brilliant and always entertaining
and thought-provoking documentary films on a wide variety of musical
styles." "A Robert Mugge film...means a deftly wrought blend of background, profile
and performance...riveting and poignant." "Passion - that's what distinguishes Robert Mugge's films...deficient in neither funk nor beat,
containing roots, authenticity, and enthusiasm for the music." "If Robert Mugge isn't the undisputed master of the humble, straightforward jazz documentary, I
don't know who is." "You could call Mugge's films the thinking person's alternative to the pop video...the finest music
documentaries I've seen." "You'll always find a strong sense of compassion, cultural heritage and social responsibility amid a large helping of entertainment in a Robert Mugge film. (Mugge is) America's pre-eminent
documentarian of indigenous music." "Mugge has become America's best and most consistent maker of documentary films about musical
performers." "Mugge...has become the most prolific and arguably the most proficient documentarian of American
roots music." "Documentary filmmaker Robert Mugge has become the most proficient chronicler of American
music." "Robert Mugge is the king of the American music documentary." "Mugge is nothing less than the best music filmmaker on the planet." "In a better world, a complete Mugge festival would be a national priority." "We're fortunate to have a man with the slightly mad dedication of Robert Mugge. Give this man a few
million dollars and let him get on with it." Links to complete online articles about the work of Robert Mugge: http://www.robertmugge.com/images/DocumentaryMagazine.pdf http://www.citypaper.net/articles/012700/ae.mov.mugge.shtml
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