A new documentary, Anacostia Delta: The Legacy of DC’s Telemasters — whose official release date is Friday — shines a light on a music community that grew out of the D.C. region during the post-World War II boom years.
“A lot of people came here to work, both for music work and other ways,” says John Previti, a veteran area bassist who is the film’s musical director. “D.C. was southern enough to have that influence of country and bluegrass but we were also influenced by rock n’ roll, jazz, blues, and gospel.”
“They knew how good they were,” says Previti of Gatton and Buchanan. “Danny and Roy also never did just one thing and they never liked being told what to do.”
The organizers eventually set up a date at The Birchmere in September 2015. The concert featured 30 musicians and showcased the Anacostia Delta’s breadth and depth. “The word camaraderie is used a lot, but that’s what it was,” Previti says of that night. “Now that we’ve lost a few of our friends since then, it’s particularly poignant.”
Read more: https://dcist.com/story/20/09/02/anacostia-delta-dc-telemasters-guitar-roy-buchanan-danny-gatton-documentary/