Good documentary on Florida music history

 

Years before the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Black performers had to play at venues in Black communities. In the South, the path through these venues was called the Chitlin Circuit. Florida had many stops on the Chitlin circuit as jazz, blues, and R&B performers took their tour bus from Pensacola to Miami.

Florida’s Chitlin Circuit explores the history of these tours. The 45-minute documentary also profiles the performers, many of whom went on to national fame and fortune. Names such as James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner, and many more all played on Florida’s Chitlin Circuit.

I give this documentary a 4 out of 5. It spends too much time on the Florida Panhandle and misses out on discussing the Jackson House in Tampa. It also loses Florida in its discussion of female performers. There was also no mention of Zora Neal Hurston’s book “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, which details the Central Florida Juke Joint scene of the 1930s. Kind of an important piece of literature on the history of rural Black music in Florida during segregation.

But if you are interested in Florida music history, click the video and check this out.