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Chicago – It was another city in another time when Andrew Davis directed his first film “Stony Island” in 1970s Chicago. The film was released in 1978 to acclaim, but faded into the mist of cinema. Andrew Davis is back in his hometown to introduce “Stony Island” at the Gene Siskel Film Center on Friday, November 17th, 2023. For tickets and info, click Stony Island.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Lovingly filmed on the gritty 1970s streets in the Chicago of Andy Davis, the film features his brother Richard Davis as Ritchie, a white boy guitarist trying to break into a Southside rhythm and blues band that cooks with its own brand of Windy City soul. Based a bit on his brother’s actual circumstances, the film features actual singers and players of the era, including a magnificent performance by Gene Barge as Percy Price, the centerpiece cat in the story who ends up in a fate of celebration.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, director Andrew Davis’ first film “Stony Island” will make its digital debut on major VOD platforms and DVD on Nov. 17. That same day, there will be a theatrical screening of the film at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. Following the one-night-only screening, Davis and his brother Richie Davis will host a Q&a session.

“Stony Island” tells the story of “two struggling musicians who buck the odds in their attempt to form an R&b band and take it on the road,” according to a release provided to Variety. It follows Richie Bloom, the only white kid on the block, who forms a band with his best friend Kevin Tucker. Aging sax legend Percy Price mentors them as they pull together a funky supergroup. Armed with little resources and facing heavy losses, the musicians must unite to make their smash debut.

The film received accolades...

A new documentary, Rebel Dread, will examine the influence of Don Letts, the British filmmaker, and musician who captured some of the most significant footage of punk’s first wave and cofounded Big Audio Dynamite with the Clash’s Mick Jones.

“Punk rock’s a living thing,” Letts says in the film’s trailer. “It’s about turning problems into assets. And as a first-generation, British-born Black, that’s something I know a lot about.” The 30-second clip features footage of the Clash and England’s Black community in the Seventies.

Van Morrison has announced his new album, The Prophet Speaks. His 40th studio album is set for release on December 7th via Caroline International.

On his new effort, Morrison offers six new originals alongside his reinterpretations of classics. Sam Cooke’s “Laughin’ and Clownin’,” John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples,” Solomon Burke’s “Gotta Get You Off My Mind” and Willie Dixon’s “I Love the Life I Live” are among the eight songs he covers.

“It was important for me to get back to recording new music as well as...

Fans and friends are paying tribute to Terry Callier, one of Massive Attack's most celebrated collaborators.

The jazz and soul singer has died, aged 67, reportedly found dead at his home on Sunday, with saxophonist Gene Barge confirming his death to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Terry Callier was rediscovered later in his career through collaborations with Beth Orton and Massive Attack

Callier started his career aged 17 after signing a deal with Chess Records and recorded his debut track 'Look At Me Now', which was released in 1963.

He went on to put out a string of critically acclaimed albums, toured with George Benson and Gil Scott-Heron and also collaborated with Beth Orton and Massive Attack, who produced his 2009 album 'Hidden Conversations'...

Orton has taken to Twitter.com to pay tribute to Callier, sharing a video of herself performing with him in London in 1997.

This was one of the best nights of my life.