'Satan and Adam', a very entertaining and informative documentary filmed over 20 years chronicling the personal and professional lives of Mr. Satan (aka Sterling McGee) and Adam Gussnow was featured at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Mr. Satan was a gifted blues guitarist who rose to fame playing on the streets of Harlem and who graciously let Adam Gussnow, a white blues harmonica player, join him in playing blues on the street. This unlikely pair, one black one white, making beautiful music together in a racially charged 1980's NYC rose to brief national and world fame before Mr. Satan disappeared from the music scene. This leads to the most powerful parts of the documentary which captures the rise and fall of two men-an unlikely but genuine friendship-and how the power of music (and some caring souls) can pull someone out of the depths of depression.
3 Reviews
A great untold blues story
paul-961893 July 2019
Deserves more reviews here. Inspired me to write my first IMDB review.
A must watch for blues fans and/or anyone interested in New York City history. I consider myself both. Shows the ups and downs of life as a blues musician, in particular during the fallow period of the eighties when the music was cast aside.
A must watch for blues fans and/or anyone interested in New York City history. I consider myself both. Shows the ups and downs of life as a blues musician, in particular during the fallow period of the eighties when the music was cast aside.
"Satan's gonna play with the white boy."
classicsoncall30 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't exactly living under a rock during the late Eighties, but I never heard of this musical duo known as Satan and Adam. That's probably not unusual, since I don't think many people would have, even though this documentary makes it sound like they achieved international acclaim at a particular point in the early Nineties. Sterling 'Satan' Magee was born and bred in Mississippi, and like a lot of blues singers who came up from the South, got his start as a young lad singing gospel music. At that time, it was a veritable sin to take up with blues or even popular music, as one's community at large likened it to devil's music. But with his introduction to record producer Bobby Robinson, Sterling came to the attention of a number industry talents, and served as a studio musician on a number of recordings. But his disenchantment with the industry led him to the streets of Harlem where he plied his trade on 125th Street, supporting himself with donations from people who heard him play.
Adam Gussow heard of Magee and wanted to meet and play with him, so he sought him out at his usual street location. After jamming on a few songs, the pair immediately took to each other and embarked on a life long musical journey of friendship. Their jammimg became so popular they went from a Harlem act to a New York City act, and ultimately beyond even that. Festival producer Quint Davis signed them up for the 1991 New Orleans Jazz Festival where they were broadly received, and they continued to play despite Magee's aversion to flying. 'Mr. Satan' would drive to all of his gigs with Gussow, eventually tiring under the strain and pressure of traveling to perform. He suddenly disappeared in 1998 after failing to show up for a show. When he turned up in 2000, it was at a St. Petersberg, Florida nursing home where he was undergoing treatment for a nervous breakdown and a slight stroke.
Under the care of an administrator who went the extra mile, Sterling began to recover his musical ability. Around the same time, Adam Gussow suffered a heart attack of his own, but his determination to reunite with his old partner brought him to Florida and a reunion that would have seemed most improbable. They began playing again and even put out another record, once again achieving a measure of notoriety in the musical world. Filmed over a period of twenty years, the documentary is a wonderful tribute to two men who overcame racial barriers to become lifelong friends and associates. It nicely serves as a companion piece to that of another 'unknown' musician by the name of Sixto Rodriguez, who's story is told in the 2012 documentary, "Searching for Sugar Man". As I write this, "Satan and Adam" is playing on Netflix, while you might have to search your local library for the Sugar Man article.
With this review, I've added this title as the 100th entry on my list of 'Concert and Music Movies I've reviewed on IMDb'. It's an eclectic list arranged in IMDb rating order, and if you look it up, you'll probably see a few titles you'd like to add to your enjoyment.
Adam Gussow heard of Magee and wanted to meet and play with him, so he sought him out at his usual street location. After jamming on a few songs, the pair immediately took to each other and embarked on a life long musical journey of friendship. Their jammimg became so popular they went from a Harlem act to a New York City act, and ultimately beyond even that. Festival producer Quint Davis signed them up for the 1991 New Orleans Jazz Festival where they were broadly received, and they continued to play despite Magee's aversion to flying. 'Mr. Satan' would drive to all of his gigs with Gussow, eventually tiring under the strain and pressure of traveling to perform. He suddenly disappeared in 1998 after failing to show up for a show. When he turned up in 2000, it was at a St. Petersberg, Florida nursing home where he was undergoing treatment for a nervous breakdown and a slight stroke.
Under the care of an administrator who went the extra mile, Sterling began to recover his musical ability. Around the same time, Adam Gussow suffered a heart attack of his own, but his determination to reunite with his old partner brought him to Florida and a reunion that would have seemed most improbable. They began playing again and even put out another record, once again achieving a measure of notoriety in the musical world. Filmed over a period of twenty years, the documentary is a wonderful tribute to two men who overcame racial barriers to become lifelong friends and associates. It nicely serves as a companion piece to that of another 'unknown' musician by the name of Sixto Rodriguez, who's story is told in the 2012 documentary, "Searching for Sugar Man". As I write this, "Satan and Adam" is playing on Netflix, while you might have to search your local library for the Sugar Man article.
With this review, I've added this title as the 100th entry on my list of 'Concert and Music Movies I've reviewed on IMDb'. It's an eclectic list arranged in IMDb rating order, and if you look it up, you'll probably see a few titles you'd like to add to your enjoyment.
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