Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10364 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-07
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Colour, Compilation, DVD-Video, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 74 minutes

Synopsis
Features a collection of footage of American folk and blues artists who toured Britain. Includes Muddy Waters, Big Joe Williams, Junior Wells and many more.

Customer Reviews

More Great Blues
More AFBF material - this time from British concerts

Anyone interested in Blues will have to buy this one. I wasn't aware that the 1964 show was recorded in the UK although I suspected it might have been when a Sonny Boy clip surfaced on YouTube. The cheering that greets Howlin Wolf is extremely heartwarming - he then proceeds to lay down Smokestack Lightnin - unavailable anywhere else on film as far as I know - and Don't Laugh at Me. Lightnin Hopkins is in there too while Sugar Pie Desanto does a couple of spirited performances

Also from 1964 (but not part of the AFBF series) are two songs apiece from Muddy Waters and Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the Blues and Gospel Caravan from a now-closed railway station in Manchester. Muddy's performances are some of his best - many of his filmed performances are a little disappointing - along with the Reelin in the Years DVD of Muddy at Newport. Strangely for RITY they don't reveal what most of us already know - bass and drums are Ransom Knowling and Willie Smith - it must have been the tour where Otis Spann recorded one of his best albums

There are also parts of the 1963 and 1966 festivals, which leads me on to my personal favourite - has to be Big Joe Turner in probably his best recorded performance doing "Oh Well Oh Well". I recorded this in audio when it was originally broadcast but it's strangely omitted from the 1966 bootleg which is in general circulation. So I couldn't believe my luck when it turned up here. He's in fantastic form and is clearly having a great time

Another 5 stars for RITY

What the Folk!?
It doesn't get much better than this! This is about as intimate a performance as you can get. There are 14 tracks on this DVD and a further 4 bonus tracks - Two of these are of Sister Rosetta Tharpe ("Didn't it Rain" and "Trouble in Mind") with her amazing white 3-pickup Gibson SG guitar and the other two from Muddy Waters ("You can't lose what you ain't never had" and "blow wind blow")the performances are amazing and take place at a mock railway station. The footage is crystal clear and shot on a number of movie cameras. This is part two of the Blues and Gospel train programme.

The main tracks - Sonny Boy Williamson appears 3 times - "keep it to yourself" (Otis Spann: Piano, Matt "Guitar" Murphy: Guitar, Willie Dixon: Stand-up Bass, Bill Stephney: Drums) "Bye Bye Bird" (unaccompanied) and "Getting out of town" (Sunnyland Slim: Piano, Hubert Sumlin: Guitar, Willie Dixon: Stand-up Bass and Clifton James: Drums)
He plays harmonica with his nose and mouth etc. Brilliant!

Muddy gets his "Mojo Working" (Otis Spann: Piano, Matt "Guitar" Murphy: Guitar, Willie Dixon: Stand-up Bass, Bill Stephney: Drums)

Legendary Lonnie Johnson plays "too late to cry" (unaccompanied).

The main event for me is the performance of "Baby please don't go" (Made popular by Van Morrison and Them) on his customised 9-string guitar.

Other tracks Lightnin' Hopkins - "Come go with me" and "Lightin's Blues"
Sugar Pie DeSanto "Baby What You Want me To Do" and "Rock me Baby"

Howlin' Wolf "Smokestack Lightning" and "Don't Laugh at Me"

Big Joe Turner "Oh Well oh Well"

Junior Wells "What'd I Say" (this is just amazing, almost a James Brown approach to the song)

I haven't watched all of the performances in that much depth yet, but already well worth the money! No expense was spared when capturing this fascinating footage at least four movie cameras were used to give different view points of these legends. Although recorded in mono (as one would expect for this time) has been expertly mixed and the sound, like the visuals are exceptionally clear.

These artists have a power and charisma that can rarely be seen on today's slick mediated TV music performances. Nothing this raw would ever make it on to TV today. This footage is fascinating, powerful and still VERY relevant. Don't hesitate, just buy it.

Two Sister Rosetta songs
Bought it for the two Sister Rosetta tracks.

(Whackily, on the DVD interactive menu they are under "Bonus Material" -- odd?)

Surely a must for any blues fan, good quality production.