A bio-documentary of Howard Armstrong known as Louie Bluie. This was made around '85 by Terry Zwigoff who did another one on Robert Crumb which I loved.

I love this one even more. Of course, it's right up my alley of American roots music. Armstrong recorded for Bluebird--RCA's race record division which specialized in light blues and hokum. He's not well known but he played with all the greats--Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, Washboard Sam (Big Bill Broonzy's brother-in-law, I believe).

What struck me about Louie was his downhomey-ness offset by his intellect. You always read about bluesmen being illiterate like Muddy and Hooker but Louie was completely literate, acutely so. Very smart man. He wrote freehand in the most beautiful calligraphy and was also a great painter and illustrator. He wrote his own books and when I say he wrote them I mean he wrote them. He'd take these books with blank covers and blank pages and fill them in with his own stories and memories illustrated in ink and various colors of magic markers. He'd paste in photos also and decorate the borders.

One book was simply titled "Pornography" and was full of erotic photos and his own illustrations and very dirty stories for which Armstrong is unapologetic (ah, a man after my own heart!). He and the guitarist of his band talk very frankly about sex and the female body as they leaf through the book. Although he went to church as a boy, he had a dirty sense of humor and got chastised. He also refers to clergymen as pimps. I love this guy!

Louie played both mando and fiddle. His fiddle was so beat up, it looked like it was held together with old shoestrings and rubber bands but, boy oh boy, could this guy play!! In one scene, he is playing with an older white couple, country dance music, and he just tears it up on that fiddle.   Plus you get to see him and his band play old hokum at clubs and streetcorners. What amazing music that is!

My only complaint is that the doc only lasts an hour. that should have been 3 hours easy and I would have watched it all without blinking. It was over way too fast. It's also full of neat old photos and films clips of black jug bands and string bands. A must-see for anyone who considers him even a moderate folkie.