Day: September 11, 2019

Here’s an epic, big-tent view of country music

To understand the big-tent view of Ken Burns’ “Country Music,” let’s step back 46 years
It’s May of 1973, at the Michigan State University Auditorium. The concert has the Eagles … and Gram Parsons (with Emmylou Harris) … and Lester Flatt (with Marty Stuart).
Really. The guy from the Byrds … and the band that would make “Life In the Fast Lane” … and the guy whose mandolin propelled “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Tickets ($7) included a second night, with Quicksilver, Canned Heat and REO Speedwagon.
It was, Stuart (shown here) said, “the first time I saw rock and roll and bluegrass and honky tonk and folk music and gospel music collide …. I remember thinking, ‘It can all exist under the umbrella of country music.’” Read more…

Best-bets for Sept. 13: Raul Julia’s passionate portrait

1) “American Masters,” 9 p.m., PBS. These days, people keep seeing (and re-seeing) Raul Julia in the two “Addams Family” (shown here) films. But that was just part of a wide-ranging career. Julia arrived from Puerto Rico at 24, ready for Shakespeare and Broadway and talk shows and more. Before his death (at 54, of a stroke after intestinal troubles) he also did passionate roles as Latino activists. Here’s a fond portrait. Read more…

Reboots? Some are fine; “BH90210” isn’t

As “BH90210” wraps its noisy little season, we’ll just shrug.
A great idea got so-so execution. The result was almost adequate by lowly, end-of-summer standards.
The finale is 9 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 11) on Fox, promptly rerunning at 8 p.m. Friday. Like previous hours, its self-effacing humor is often quite good; its drama is more-often quite awful. Read more…