The American Folk-Blues Festival - Volume Three 1962-69 (music video)

The American Folk-Blues Festival - Volume Three 1962-69

blues | DVD5 NTSC | PCM mono | iso, cover | 4000MB

Universal | rel: 2004

Amazon:
Street Date: 31 August 2004. The third video compilation in this series is arguably the weakest, but is nonetheless required viewing for all roots/blues fans. As in the previous two DVDs, the material is culled from professionally shot and recorded European television shows from 1965-1968. Only one tune dates from before that period (1962's closing group performance of Helen Humes' "The Blues Ain't Nothin' But a Woman"), making the titular years a bit misleading. Regardless, there is some powerful music here. Half of the tracks, nine out of 18, are taken from 1967's newly discovered Danish television footage. Unfortunately this material was not played in front of a live audience, and without that immediate feedback, the predominantly country blues tunes, while emotionally moving, lack the bite and tension that the artists were used to delivering for their typically more vocal stateside crowds. Much is made about this being the only known live video of Little Walter, but the detailed notes in the 24-page book recount how unhappy he was on this tour. His non-amplified harp backing on Hound Dog Taylor's "Wild About You" and Koko Taylor's classic "Wang Dang Doodle" is much more sedate than what most would expect for a man known the most riveting electrically enhanced harmonica player in blues. Sonny Terry, who joins partner Brownie McGhee for three 1967 tunes and shows up for the 1962 finale, is much more impressive on harmonica, spitting out machine gun notes with precision. Buddy Guy's funky, James Brown-styled "Out of Sight" isn't really blues, but it does capture the guitarist at his most animated. Three "bonus" closing tracks not from the American Folk Blues taping, but from the same time period, are revelatory. One features the incredible Earl Hooker (playing with his teeth on "Earl's Boogie" in 1969) and two catch 1968 stingers from Muddy Waters.

Tracks
-01. Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton
-02. Gulfport Boogie - Roosevelt Sykes
-03. Out of Sight - Buddy Guy
-04. Feel So Good - Dr. Isaiah Ross
-05. Flip, Flop & Fly - Big Joe Turner
-06. All Night Long - Skip James
-07. Crow Jane - Skip James
-08. Got Sick & Tired - Bukka White
-09. Death Letter Blues - Son House
-10. Wild About You - Hound Dog Taylor
-11. Wang Dang Doodle - Koko Taylor
-12. Stranger Blues - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
-13. Burnt Child (Afraid Of Fire) - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
-14. Gonna Move Across The River - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
-15. The Blues Ain't Nothin' But a Woman - Helen Humes
bonus tracks:
-16. Earl's Boogie - Earl Hooker
-17. Long Distance Call - Muddy Waters
-18. I Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters
~70 mins

 

buy: American Folk Blues Festival 1962-69 vol 3