Product Description

Harley Cokliss's Chicago Blues filmed in 1972 was a remarkable film; remarkable in that it was not just a competent documentary but a film crafted with care by professionals with a love and understanding of music and a respect for its history and artists. The music and its artists of Chicago Blues reflect faithfully the structure of the city's Blues activity of the late '60s from unknown amateur to world famous stars, from house to small bar, from traditional down home to modern city style. Thus Johnny Lewis, a housepainter who played for his own amusement at home and was almost a discovery of the film team, to Muddy Waters, Chicago Blues' most famous figure. Lewis' Hobo Blues opens the film over images of the Bus Station and fixes firmly the importance of migration in the development of Chicago's postwar Blues. But with the great bulk of migrants coming from the Delta this pure East Coast offering sits oddly with the heavy electric Mississippi sound to follow. Strictly, only Muddy and Johnny Young came from Mississippi and while they contributed to and still played in the classic Chicago style, by the '60s the influence of Mississippi and the Delta was fading fast. The young lions of the West Side were in the ascendant and it's the nervous, raw energy of Buddy Guy's guitar and searing vocal that catches the positive mood of that decade. (The political mood was also captured on this film by interviews with Rev Ridick. Alderman A.A. Rayner and in a particularly telling contribution from Dick Gregory).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64506 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-03-23
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Compilation, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 50 minutes

Customer Reviews

The Chicago Blues cousin to "Wattstax."
While not of a singluar music event, this film takes you on a look of not only blues music in Chicago but a look at life in the Chiago ghettoes in 1972. Well--known bluesmen such as Muddy Waters and Junior Wells perform as well as talk about their life, music , and what it all represents (Muddy in particular is quite articulate and locquaious) and we have some addditional insights from Dick Gregory. Like it's west coast cousin "Wattstax," "Chicago Blues" is a good sociological, as well as musical document.

Not a Music DVD
It's a hard core 1960's blacksploitation style commentary. Interesting as a cultural anachronism, but of no interest to anyone interested in listening to music.

ALL STAR CAST
If you're a Muddy fan you will enjoy this set. This is Muddy at his best, just what you would expect of him. It is great to also see Junior Wells, & Buddy Guy there always excellent together. We also get to see J.B. Hutto another treat, this is a well produced dvd with great sound quality too. This is well worth watching, an excellent all-star cast try it.