Soul to Soul (DVD + CD)
Explosive performances by Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Santana, the Staple Singers, and others powerSoul to Soul, the filmed documentary of a 1971 concert by American artists in Accra, Ghana. There's some great music here, with versions of "Land of 1000 Dances" (Pickett), "When Will We Be Paid" (the Staples), and "The Price You Gotta Pay to Be Free" (jazzmen Les McCann and Eddie Harris, who also feature the amazing African musician Amoah Azangeo) that are as good or better than anything found on other concert films from the period, includingWattstaxandWoodstock.  But witnessing this predominantly black group of Americans as they respond to being in Africa for the first time is fascinating and moving as well (check out the uncontained emotion of Ike Turner, just one of the nine folks who supplied voice-over commentary for the DVD, to see just how profound an experience it was), to say nothing of the sometimes bemused, often ecstatic response of the African audience. 5.1 surround notwithstanding, the sound can be a little dodgy, but the remastered, restored film, which includes plenty of non-concert documentary footage (including a trip to a seaside "castle" from which slaves were shipped across the Atlantic) looks good, and what'sonthe film looks first rate.--Sam Graham