The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.
Blues Story presents an impressionistic history of one of the most lasting art forms America has ever produced - as told for the first time through the eyes of the artists who lived it. Combining exclusive interview and performance footage with vintage clips and the music of many Blues legends long gone, the history of this richly felt music is illuminated - from its African roots to its American urban expression - along with its profound place in our cultural heritage. The result is a rare, first-hand glimpse into the lives of these vanishing artists, and a moving, insightful and informative look into a music that continues to be loved by millions throughout the world.
Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular blues artists, including: Big Mama Thornton, Roosevelt Sykes, Buddy Guy, Dr. Isaiah Ross, Big Joe Turner, Skip James, Bukka White, Son House, Hound Dog Taylor and Little Walter, Koko Taylor and Little Walter, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Helen Humes, Earl Hooker, and Muddy Waters.
Ella Fitzgerald visited Australia back in 1960. Gracefully stepping up to the microphone for the celebrated television event 'The BP Super Show', hosted by musician and entertainer Horrie Dargie, Fitzgerald delivered a mellifluous set of legendary songs in an intimate concert setting at The Embers Nightclub in Toorak Road, South Yarra Victoria. This rarely seen B&W television treat is considered to be one of the earliest audio-visual recordings of the 'First Lady of Song', backed by the smooth sounds of the Lou Levy Quartet. Beside Fitzgerald's performance of 14 memorable Jazz and Blues classics, the program also contains original BP musical interludes and jingles from the Horrie Dargie Quartet.
Documentary film about the legendary blues club in Austin, Texas. The film is filled with historical and dynamic blues performances from the earliest days of the club in the 1970s. Stars David Adelson, Clifford Antone.
Taken from shows in Belfast and Dublin during the December '84 Irish Tour, filmed and produced by NFL Film's Phil Tuckett, Emerald Aisles captures Gary Moore and his band at their 1980s very best. Also features the 'Out In The Fields' promo video.
Begun as the official chronicle of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bus tour through New Orleans and southwestern Louisiana, it turns into a more informal, out-of-the-way journey to blues and zydeco clubs, gospel churches and radio stations, and musical family gatherings in backwater bayous.
J. B. Lenoir (1929 - 1967) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, active in the Chicago blues scene in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1965 the Swedish/American couple Rönnog and Steve Seaberg visited J.B. at his home on the South Side of Chicago and recorded 30 minutes of music and conversation. Parts of the film was used in "Soul of a Man" (2003).
British rock legends Whitesnake, recorded live at the Monsters Of Rock Festival, Donington Park on August 20th 1983. Featuring: Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues, Rough N`Ready, Ready An` Willing, Guilty Of Love, Here I Go Again, Love Hunter, Mistreated, Soldier Of Fortune, Ain`t No Love In The Heart Of The City, Fool For Your Loving
Delve into the musical influences of iconic rockers Led Zeppelin, whose epic brand of arena rock grew out of a deep love of the blues, the skiffle and folk rock. Music historians and authors join producers Joe Boyd and Larry Cohn, as well as performers John Renbourn, Chas McDevitt and Davey Graham, in their analysis of the band's musical roots. An enthralling section also explores Zeppelin's fascination with the occult.
James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent, there's a dark side to Brown's success that includes stints in prison and unceasing tabloid speculation. This in-depth documentary takes a look at the meteoric highs and deep lows of Brown's career, offering some fascinating insights from the Godfather of Soul himself, as well as interview footage with Chuck D, Little Richard, Wyclef Jean and many others.
In 2014, something unusual happened. On the strength of their breakthrough album Too Many Roads, Denmark's Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado went global. Now it's one thing for an artist from Copenhagen to enjoy success at home and in a few adjacent countries. But the release of Too Many Roads saw the seven-piece combo fronted by singer and guitarist Risager gaining widespread notoriety in the U.S. and being invited to play in locales as far away as Mumbai, India.
Catfish Blues
A thorough look at the 90's Turkish rock scene, one legendary stage band and its two members: Kerim Capli and Yavuz Cetin... An inquiry of their existential battles with the society, the industry and their own minds.
Robert Randolph is an American musician, a master of the pedal steel guitar, greatly influenced by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The US Rolling Stone magazine designated him as one of the 100 best guitarists in the world in 2003. The following year he appeared in the 'Crossroads Guitar Festival' DVD and opened Eric Clapton's World Tour. The latest project by Robert Randolph and The Family Band, 'We Walk This Road', is a celebration of Afro-American music over the last one hundred years and reflects the cultural background of Robert Randolph, who began playing music in church. For the Nice Jazz Festival, his programme includes original compositions and covers (Bob Dylan, Prince, John Lennon and Blind Willie Johnson), all in a festive and celebratory spirit.
The unforgettable R&B soul diva shows her incredible range with hits like “Nowhere to Run,” “Jimmy Mack,” “Heatwave,” and others.
Documentary covering the famous Wigan Casino northern soul venue and the working class kids who spend all their money not on alcohol but on records and dancing all night.
On September 14, 2011, The Horrible Crowes took the stage of the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA for an amazing hour-long plus set. It was only the band's second show, and attendees were able to experience Elsie in an authentic, natural setting. "I think this was one of the highlights of my career," Brian Fallon recalls. "Everyone was in great spirits, we were comfortable, and we were playing music that excited us beyond what we thought we were capable of. I remember, on this night, I felt like someone else was playing for us. I love this band, as a fan."
The 1920s saw a revolution in technology, the advent of the recording industry, that created the first class of African-American women to sing their way to fame and fortune. Blues divas such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Alberta Hunter created and promoted a working-class vision of blues life that provided an alternative to the Victorian gentility of middle-class manners. In their lives and music, blues women presented themselves as strong, independent women who lived hard lives and were unapologetic about their unconventional choices in clothes, recreational activities, and bed partners. Blues singers disseminated a Black feminism that celebrated emotional resilience and sexual pleasure, no matter the source.
Stevie Wonder - Soul Genius