New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Directed by Ethan Hawke, BLAZE stars newcomer Ben Dickey as
Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the
Texas outlaw music movement whose unique artistic contributions gave rise to the likes of Merle Haggard andWillie
Nelson and inspired both
John Prine and Lucinda Williams. Loosely guided by the narrative of Foley cohort and co-conspirator, Townes Van Zandt, played by
Bob Dylan bandguitarist Charlie Sexton, the film weaves together three different periods of time, conflatingBlaze's past, present and future in a poignant exploration of his love affair with Sybil Rosen, played by Alia Shawkat. Featuring an ensemble cast of inspired performers, the film explores the uniquely American art of storytelling through renditions of the
Blaze Foley songbook, and examines the impact of both his art and his untimely death on his fans, friends, and collaborators.
An essential part of the story, the BLAZE: Original Cast Recording shines a light on Foley'senduring influence by compiling performances from the film that underscore theunvarnished beauty of its idiosyncratic protagonist. As the cameras rolled, the actors began to sing and the singers began to act, and what's captured on the record is the spirit of Foleyand the film itself, most notably represented by the atmospheric noises of clinking beer bottles, birds, and the cast cheering each other on in the midst of a take. These hallmarks of natural conversation, of ebb and flow, are the makings of any good album - especially one made by a group of artists with a collective vision of creating something eternal, and doing it all, asTownes Van Zandt put it best, "for the sake of the song."
Featuring new recordings of classic
Blaze Foley compositions and including a stirring rendition of the Lucinda Williams-penned tribute to Blaze, "Drunken Angel," performed byAlynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff, the Blaze: Original Cast Recording serves not only as a tribute to the power of Blaze's writing, but a worthy homage to his spirit as evidenced by Ben Dickey's contribution of the original song "Blaze & Sybil's Lullaby," composed byDickey especially for the film and performed alongside co-star Alia Shawkat. Also included in the album's running order are new versions of some of Foley's best-known songs lovingly channeled by Dickey, including "Clay Pigeons," "Picture Cards," and "Big Cheeseburgers and Good French Fries," as well as tunes by
Blind Willie McTell,
Roger Miller, andTownes Van Zandt. Rounding out the deluxe gatefold LP package are extensive liner notes, including an essay by writer/director Ethan Hawke and a conversation with Ben Dickey andFoley's longtime companion and the film's co-writer, Sybil Rosen.
TRACKLISTING:
1. Let Me Ride in Your Big
Cadillac (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
2. Big Cheeseburgers & Good French Fries (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
3. Clay Pigeons (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
4.
Blaze & Sybil's Lullaby (Ben Dickey) - Ben Dickey & Alia Shawkat
5. Sittin' By The Road (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
6. Oo-De-Lally (Roger Miller) - Ben Dickey & Alia Shawkat
7. Pearly Gates (Blind Willie McTell) - Ben Dickey & Alynda Segarra
8. I Should Have Been Home (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
9. Picture Cards (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
10. Marie (Townes Van Zandt) - Charlie Sexton
11. Cold Cold World (Blaze Foley) - Ben Dickey & Original Cast
12. Drunken
Angel (Lucinda Williams) - Alynda Segarra
In an homage to Blaze's roots in the Austin, TX music scene, that shaped the trajectory of American popular music, Ethan Hawke and Ben Dickey will be touring the state in support of the film and its soundtrack ahead of its wide release, by Sundance Selects on
September 21st. Their tour of personal appearances will include the following stops:
August 12 - Houston, TX -
Jack Ingram in concert, plus fireside chat, Rockefeller's
August 13 - Houston, TX - Screening with Q&A, Landmark River Oaks
August 15 - Ft. Worth, TX -Screening with Q&A, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base
August 15 - Dallas, TX - Screening with Q&A, Landmark Magnolia
August 16 - Austin TX - Austin Premiere, Violet* Crown Cinema
August 21 - El Paso, TX - Screening with Q&A, Alamo Drafthouse
August 22 - San Antonio, TX - Ben Dickey live performance, Smoke Shack
August 23 - San Antonio, TX - Screening with Q&A, Santikos Bijou
August 25 - Houston, TX - Screening with Q&A, Landmark Magnolia
August 31 - Nashville, TN - Screening with Q&A, Belcourt Theater
BLAZEpremiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival where Dickey's performance won him the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting. Dickey stars alongside Alia Shawkat,Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton, Richard Linklater, Alynda Segarra, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn and Kris Kristofferson. The film was co-written by Ethan Hawke and Sybil Rosen and is based on Rosen's memoir Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering
Blaze Foley.
Known for their grassroots success with Rodriguez, the reclusive singer-songwriter whose unlikely story of personal triumph received long-overdue worldwide acclaim in the Academy Award®-winning documentary SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, Light In The
Attic Records has gone on to garner nominations for multiple GRAMMY Awards, including one forBest Historical Album (2015) for Native North
America (Vol. 1). Their exuberance and dedication to spreading joy through music has propelled them through the release of 200+ titles worldwide, setting the pace for reissue labels and the archival process. From D'Angeloto Donnie & Joe Emerson, Sixto Rodriguez to Serge Gainsbourg, Betty Davis to
Karen Dalton, Lewis to Lifetones, the list goes on and on.
Light In The
Attic is co-owned and operated by co-founders and high school friends Matt Sullivan and Josh Wright. In addition to the label's acclaimed output, the company also distributes over 75 record labels. In 2010, LITA expanded from their native Seattle by opening offices in Los Angeles,including a successful music house focused on licensing for film, television and advertisements, along with music supervision. Light In The Atticalso operates a thriving physical brick and mortar record store in the KEXP Gathering Space in Seattle. For more info, visit LightInTheAttic.net and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
