LITTLE SAMMY is a musical documentary that looks into the life and music of Sammy Davis, a sweet, charming 72-year-old Mississippi Delta Blues harp player. 

Sammy” was a official selection at the Woodstock International Film Festival, the London International Film Festival, and the AFI/SILVERDOCS Discovery Channel Documentary Film Festival where it went on to win the “Audience Recognition Award.

Review
Also in this double bill was a shorter (25) minute film by Arlen Tarlofsky about Little Sammy Davis.  Most people I’ve spoken to who attended the screening had never heard of Davis, but then, they don’t read B&R (see articles on Davis and on Rockin’ Records, as well as a slot in Pete Lowry’s column, in this magazine at various times over the last couple of years).  To be honest, I’d recommend this even more highly than the film about Muddy- it’s a pleasure from start to finish.

Davis plays his harmonica unaccompanied with acoustic guitar, with a full electric band, and with his nose.  He sounds great, whatever he’s doing- a full, beautiful tone, a straightforward, uncluttered style, and deep blues all the way.

He also gets plenty of opportunity to talk, about his life, his music, his take on the blues.  Others talk about him as well, including Fred Scribner, in whose band Sammy Davis currently plays (some of Scribner’s contributions raised a few laughs from the audience, and not necessarily when he was trying to be funny).  I do like Tarlofsky’s style- he favours natural, full body shots over talking heads, a relaxed, chatty context rather than formal interviews.  There’s a particularly engaging session (with short sections cut into the film at various points) where Sammy eats steak and eggs in a cafe, nattering to some friends and charming fellow-diners with his stories and songs.

These days when it’s much more fashionable to talk up the blues singer as a tough, dangerous, man with a shady, violent past, more interested in moonshine than music, it was refreshing to get an alternative angle.  Sammy Davis comes across as a friendly, decent guy, who credits his continuing ability to blow the harp to healthy living.  He integrates his harp playing with his singing, not just leaving it for introductions and solos, he tells us- not like so many other harp players who have squandered their talents - and their wind- on smoking and drinking.  Ray Templeton

Blues & Rhythm Magazine • London England