Amos Lee - Mission Bell

I first heard of Amos Lee a few years ago when a friend of mine, who had a crush on him, gushed incessantly about him. I listened to some of his songs and liked what I heard, but when my friend and I lost touch, I forgot about Mr. Lee.

I am regretting that very much.

I put Mission Bell into my computer, and sank into my bed on this cool winter eve, which was the perfect choice for listening to this record. Mr. Lee is blessed with a languid, bluesy voice which flows over you like a gentle river. In fact, at the end, it took me a few minutes to realize the music had finished, not because I wasn’t paying attention, but because I was lulled into such a restful state that I simply did not notice.

For anyone who is a fan of Norah Jones’ style of music, Amos Lee will be for you. It therefore should be of no surprise that the two have collaborated together a multitude of times in the past. This album however contains a different group of collaborators, including the inimitable country legends Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams. This collection touches on a variety of different musical styles, from the aforementioned country, as well as jazz to hip hop, blues and rock, all while retaining Mr. Lee’s signature folky soul sound. His is prime music for listeners who like their music soothing like a cup of warm chamomile tea.

The strongest song on the album, Jesus, has an up-tempo beat and the soulful sensibility of a spiritual that allows the listener to feel he or she is in Church right next to Mr. Lee as he prays like a man who has lost everything but his sense of prayer. He is a man on his knees begging for salvation. It then backs into Hello Again, a laconic jazz standard number.

The smooth nature of the music belies the sad and sometimes pained tone of the lyrics such as on Learned A Lot in which the narrator tells his long-gone lover that despite the ending of their relationship, that he appreciates the relationship for what it taught him.

Clear Blue Eyes is a beautiful collaboration with Lucinda Williams, a plaintive paean to a lover who has been abused terribly in the past, breaking the heart of the narrator who wants nothing more than to erase these wrongs and care for the tortured lover. It would be perfectly suited for a soundtrack, if it hasn’t already been chosen as such. The album closes out as it started with a reprise of the song El Camino in a duet between Mr. Lee and Willie Nelson. Their voices have different timbres and one might be tempted to think they come from different genres, but the song is a perfect melding of two very different and yet uniquely gifted voices in a lovely and smooth exit of a wonderful and soothing album.

Amos Lee's Mission Bell is available for purchase starting January 25th, 2011.

Sara - The Film

WARNING - Spoiler alert - don't read below if you don't want to have the plot spoiled!

You know a film has potential when in the first three minutes it has you crying along with the characters. Sara is a complicated look at the relationship between two women from vastly different backgrounds, as their new relationship is rocked by a revelation of volcanic proportions.

Jessica Clark plays Lexus, a 3rd year PHd candidate who has decided to take some time off to pursue work while figuring out what she wants to do. Earlier in the summer, while out at a bar, Lexus met a playfully sexy young woman named Sara, played by Julissa Bermudez. Sara is very candid about her profession – prostitute. Sara clearly enjoys her ability to seduce and of course seduces Lexus the first night they met. Lexus, bothered that she might be another “John”, is taken when Sara both figuratively and literally lowers her guard in the form of removing her escort character’s bobbed wig.

Jessica Clark, a former model and vlogger, is obviously comfortable in front of the camera, but is still gaining her feet as an actress. She has real potential, and for a first role, she is quite competent. Julissa Bermudez, who plays the title role of Sara has a bit more experience under her belt, and is truly a standout. Her Sara is sensual, emotional and natural. The chemistry between the two actresses is believable however and they play well against each other.

The revelation of their differing HIV status comes three months in, and causes Lexus to wonder how to react. She asks the advice of her heterosexual, married, and expecting friends, who then play over the question in terms of their own relationship. Does the amount of time one has spent investing in a relationship make a difference as to how one would or should react to such heavy news? The question is never really settled, but one thing is agreed upon – all you can do is be there for the other person and decide as time goes on. Lexus agrees, and the audience then gets to see more of Sara the woman, as opposed to Sara the cartoon-like sex character, as she opens up about her past, and shares her secret relaxation spot with Lexus. The audience is meant to see that what was originally a sexy and fun encounter has slowly become fleshed out as the characters build an actual relationship and friendship.

AIDS amongst lesbians is a topic that is rarely discussed popularly, despite the AIDS-caused death of supermodel Gia in the 80s, as the general sex education sentiment is that woman to woman sexual contact is the lowest form of risk for passing HIV. However, that notion dismisses the reality that many women who have sex with other women also have or have had sex with men in their past (and/or engaged in other risky behaviors). It is not impossible for diseases to be passed between women, just less likely.

It is an ambitious undertaking, and the story piques the audience's interest in this topic, as well as the other layers brought to the surface in this story. Although the editing is occasionally choppy and the camera work occasionally less than stellar, the film really suffers from an issue that plagues many short films – a need to expand to better showcase the story. It felt like a sketch of what could be. I do eagerly look forward to seeing what the full 28-minute version of this story would bring, or perhaps an even longer version.

To watch: http://www.sarathefilm.com/

Director:

Stan

Cast:

Julissa Bermudez ... Sara
Jessica Clark ... Lexus
Harvey Gardner Moore ... Marcus
Phyllis Johnson ... Jae