Horn From the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story

Anderson does the Butterfield legacy a service with "Horn From the Heart."

It's full of music that makes the case for its subject's pre-eminence... and has an interesting slant on the issue of cultural appropriation.

The anecdotes weave an entrancing narrative, though the movie could have benefited from more vintage performance footage of Butterfield's band at the height of its powers.

In terms of production values, this is not a snazzy film. But the interview footage with family and colleagues, including Bonnie Raitt and Elvin Bishop, an early Butterfield guitarist, is smart and thorough.

Anderson... is attentive to chronology and to Butterfield's legacy, but isn't making the kind of film that might win the artist new fans or magically transport older ones back to the moment when he was at the top of his field.

The film honors him, his heroes, and the city and institutions that featured them faithfully. Music lovers and amateur historians should consider this a must-see.

In-depth look at harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who bridged the gap between blues and rock in the late 1960s.=

Horn From The Heart is a fine documentary. It follows Paul Butterfield's career in a compelling and caring way, enough so that you don't need to know the music to appreciate the story.

This is a must-see for music fans. Others who are too young to remember Butterfield ought to check it out, too. It's not every day you get to see a truly American phenomenon in action.