VARIOUS ARTISTS
12 Years a Slave
Columbia 88843 00857 2

www.columbiarecords.com
 

One of this season’s most wrenching films, director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave is based on the memoirs of Solomon Northrup, a free black violinist in upstate New York who in 1841 was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana. This disc features six of the film’s musical numbers plus ten others inspired by the movie. Together they form both historic and modern portrayals of the slave world.

Among the film’s tracks are fiddle interludes by Tim Fain and field workers’ raw harmonizing. Gospel “Roll Jordan Roll” gets two approaches: one by John Legend solo, the other by a hand-clapping church ensemble.

The tracks inspired by (but not actually in) the movie mirror the breadth and evolution of black musical styles. Gary Clark Jr. offers quiet folk ballads with spare acoustic guitar backup. Alabama Shakes brings cool jazz to searing “Driva Man.” Legend and Fink’s [Ed.- Yes, simply “Fink”’; no other name.] dark-toned blues collaboration “Move” almost channels the late Richie Havens. A piano rendition of “Good King Wenceslas,” believe it or not, effectively backs Laura Mvula’s restrained reading of Rodgers and Hart’s “Little Girl Blue.”

One film song in particular is inevitably missing from the soundtrack CD. Derived from a field recording by the Lomaxes, it’s cruelly sung to Northrup by a redneck overseer. Even giving its title here could be controversial. Putting it in the film was historically realistic, but including it on the disc would have sabotaged the CD’s mood and also, no doubt, its sales.

— Bruce Sylvester