Late Blossom Blues

Heavy gait, bent posture, shortness of breath - an old man, wrinkled and slow. But as soon as he hits the strings of his pink guitar and starts singing with the Blue Notes, unforeseen energies are revealed behind the meanwhile 85-year old and weathered facade of Leo "Bud" Welch - a verve inevitably transferred to his listeners. Welch lives life for and through music, the Blues and Gospel, the Lord and the Devil. At an early age he was already closely wedded to his instrument, but he only reached an audience and achieved success beyond his hometown at 82 - and with the help of his enthusiastic manager. His first two studio albums were released, followed by tours across America, concerts in Europe and his first airplane flight.

The achievement of Late Blossom Blues is twofold. On the one hand the film provides an empathetic, honest portrait of this long misunderstood, eccentric genius as he circulates between smoky clubs, doctors´ offices and church services. On the other hand, it interweaves his unique character with the musical world and tradition to which he belongs. Welcome to Mississippi and the South, where the roots of the Blues are to be found – cotton fields, rotting wooden houses, empty streets, a diner, a village, church, a funky Blues joint. The documentary journey passes through rural areas beyond big dazzling cities. But America is also to be found here, where the promise of happiness and above all the social disparities, the dark side of the land of the free, are reflected in the imagery, the music and narratives: a belated success story, a Gulf War veteran - blues existences shaped by poverty, quarrels and drudgery. The vitality, the will to survive and to be alive is all the more amazing, not just on the part of the musician, but also as integral to the whole scene: "Tradition is not the keeping of the ash but the passing on of the flame." (Thomas More) (Michelle Koch)

Translation: Eve Heller


When 81 year-old Leo "Bud" Welch from the Mississippi backwoods released his debut record in 2014, it took the Blues world by surprise: Where has this guy been the last 60 years? Why has nobody ever heard of him before?
When he started playing 10-15 shows every month all over North America and even in Europe and Africa, more questions arised: How is this possible for a guy his age? Who makes all this happen?
Answers are given in Late Blossom Blues, a feature-length documentary about Leo "Bud" Welch and his very late rise to fame. It´s the quintessential Blues story - a story about poverty and exploitation, about The Lord & The Devil, and of course a story about life that reminds us that it´s never too late to live your dream.
Late Blossom Blues follows Leo and his ex-soldier manager as they balance the tight rope between business and geriatrics, between jetlag and soundcheck. It also paints a heartwarming portrait of Leo´s small hometown Bruce, MS where Leo´s daily life is still untouched by his late global popularity.
Documenting the most exciting times in the life of one of the last real Bluesmen, Late Blossom Blues is a film of historic dimension for all music-lovers - a moving account of a hard-working man, who, despite all the adversaries, never wavered from his passion and waited more than 70 years to finally live his dream. (production note)

More Texts

Der Blues ist keine Frage des Alters, OÖN, 09.03.2018 (Article)

Es ist eine Geschichte, wie sie nur das Leben so zu schreiben vermag. Leo Welch war 81 Jahre alt, als der Blues-Musiker Karriere machte. "Late Blossom Blues" erzählt das.

Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer muss dem mittlerweile nicht mehr existierenden Linz-Fest für immer zu Dank verpflichtet sein. Denn hier gab der künstlerische Festivalleiter Leo Welch eine Bühne, die dieser zu nutzen wusste.

Die Begegnung mit dem alten Mann hat Pfoser-Almer nachhaltig geprägt. Denn in der Person des mittlerweile 85-jährigen Blues-Musikers hatte er jenen Menschen gefunden, dessen Geschichte filmisch erzählt werden musste.

Das Ergebnis nennt sich "Late Blossom Blues", ist eine Dokumentation, mit der der Oberösterreicher einen tiefen Einblick in das Leben von Leo Welch gibt. Am 22. März wird der Film bei der Starpremiere im Hollywood Megaplex gezeigt. Im Beisein des Filmemachers, der von seinen Eindrücken und Gefühlen erzählen kann, die er von seiner zweiwöchigen Reise in die immer noch spartanische Lebenswelt des Musikers mitgenommen hat.

Die Lebensgeschichte von Leo Welch, der "Bud" genannt wird, ist natürlich im besten Sinne des Wortes eine Blues-Story. Hier geht es um Armut und Ausbeutung, um Gott und den Teufel und um den Glauben an sich selbst, so Pfoser-Almer.
Orig. Title
Late Blossom Blues
Year
2016
Country
Austria
Duration
89 min
Category
Documentary
Orig. Language
English, German
Subtitles
English, German
Downloads
Credits
Director
Stefan Wolner, Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer
Cinematography
Viktor Schaider
Editing
Lisa Zoe Geretschläger
Sound
Gerald Rauscher, Andreas Pils
Production
Let´s Make This Happen Films, Red Monster
Executive Producer
Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer
Co-Producer
Stefan Wolner
Supported by
Land Niederösterreich, Land Oberösterreich
Available Formats
DCP 2K flat (Distribution Copy)
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Sound Format
Dolby 5.1.
Frame Rate
24 fps
Color Format
colour
Digital File (prores, h264) (Distribution Copy)
Blu-ray (Distribution Copy)
Festivals (Selection)
2017
Clarksdale, Mississippi - Clarksdale Film Festival
Graz - Diagonale, Festival des österreichischen Films
Linz - Crossing Europe Film Festival
Wien - Ethnocineca Documentary Film Festival
Hof - Internationale Filmtage
London - Doc´n Roll Music Film Festival
Naples International Film Festival (Audience Award for Best Documentary)