Mercury Studios delights country fans with three pandemic-era TV specials
Mercury Studios
Three recent country events are cataloged for Blu-ray via UMG
Universal Music Group's Mercury Studios has released a trio of Blu-rays that every country fan should own. Still Playin’ Possum: Music & Memories of George Jones, Concert From My Place With Wynonna, and Iconic Women of Country are now available in physical and digital formats via the label's partnership with TH Entertainment, LLC.
Still Playin' Possum celebrates George Jones' legacy with an all-star tribute. Filmed in April 2023 to mark the tenth anniversary of the country legend's passing, the special one-night-only event features performances and interviews from Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Jelly Roll, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna, Travis Tritt, Jamey Johnson, Trace Adkins and many more highlighting how deeply his music has influenced country stars across generations.
The concert opens with archival footage of Jones interacting with a gas station attendant before Johnson takes the stage for "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes." Tritt follows with the rocking "The Race Is On" as Bentley hits the stage with "Why Baby Why."
Smoothly interwoven between concert footage and interviews, many artists praise Jones as the greatest country singer ever.
Standout performances include Lorrie Morgan's "A Picture of Me Without You," Tim Watson's "One Woman Man," Aaron Lewis' "Choices," Justin Moore's "White Lightning," and Brad Paisley on the Jones classic, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." The finale features Michael Ray, Tracy Byrd, Janie Fricke, and Dillon Carmichael coming together for a rousing rendition of the 1993 hit, "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair." Fricke's voice stands out more than ever as she provides backup vocals to the crooning of Ray's lead.
Wynonna is profiled in Concert From My Place, an hour-long PBS special that features her husband, drummer and band leader, Cactus Moser, and their group The Big Noise. They perform classic country songs, honoring Judd's roots, blending a few solo songs and Judds tracks. The concert was filmed in 2021 during the pandemic, and is a stark reminder of how the world consumed live entertainment during those dark two years.
Wynonna and Cactus playfully banter between songs, as Wy also reveals insight into some of her favorite numbers, including Glen Campbell's "Gentle on My Mind" and Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn's "Wild Mountain Berries." Guest stars include five-time Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile and singer-songwriter Waylon Payne with an audio cameo by Lynn.
Last, but not least, Iconic Women of Country is an hour-long documentary that aired on PBS in 2020. It profiles 14 of country music's legendary female singers, including Tammy Wynette, Kitty Wells, Dottie West, Patsy Montana, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Jean Shepard, Lynn Anderson, Patsy Cline, Jeannie C. Riley, Connie Smith, Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, and Minnie Pearl. Each is praised by Trisha Yearwood, Kathy Mattea, Wynonna Judd, Suzy Bogguss, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, and others.
It appears Universal used the companion CD soundtrack artwork for the cover of the Blu-ray, as Reba McEntire is listed on the front cover but is not profiled or interviewed in the doc. However, her cover of Bobbie Gentry's "Fancy" is one of 15 songs featured on the soundtrack, initially available through PBS during the broadcast, but now available widely. As one of the biggest female voices in the genre, having charted over 100 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with 25 reaching the top spot since the 1970s, I ask myself why McEntire wasn't included in the doc, opting for country comedian and Grand Ole Opry legend Minnie Pearl instead.
Otherwise, the film is well presented and represents most of the female country community well.
Each Blu-ray is presented in full 1080p HD, coded for regions A, B, and C. All three carry an audio channel of Dolby Digital Stereo. Still Playin' Possum is the only one of the three that includes a DVD, which is region-free for international fans.
