Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday's brightest moments is the vocalist's severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life.
An unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton told through his own words and songs.
Live, intimate, and raw, Sessions For Robert J is the essential audio/video companion to Eric Clapton's 2004 gold, Top 10 Me And Mr. Johnson, tribute to blues legend Robert Johnson. Filmed during tour rehearsals in London and Dallas plus a Los Angeles hotel room and the Dallas warehouse where Johnson made some of his final recordings, Sessions for Robert J finds Clapton performing all Robert Johnson songs with his touring band, acoustically with Doyle Bramhall II and solo-as well as discussing Johnson and his influence. A performance/documentary DVD with 14 tracks (from which the 11 CD selections are taken), Sessions for Robert J is blues heaven.
The star-studded special celebrates the trailblazing music series' 40th anniversary. With guest hosts Jeff Bridges, Matthew McConaughey and Sheryl Crow, the two-hour broadcast features memorable moments from the show's remarkable run, anchored by some of the brightest stars in the show's history returning to the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS stage for incredible performances. Highlights include legends Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Foo Fighters, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Clark Jr., Lyle Lovett, Alabama Shakes, Buddy Guy and more performing in celebration of AUSTIN CITY LIMITS' legacy as an American music institution over the last four decades.
A film about the first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise relief funds for the poor of Bangladesh. The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide.
Live concert recording of B.B. King playing with many guests, including Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Etta James, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, Billy Ocean & Phil Collins.
This warm 90 minutes documentary shows us unknown blues musicians from Mississippi. They play everywhere : on the streets, in dirty little bars, in a barber shop, in big clubs. The film really captures the true faces of blues and shows us that this music had nothing to do with nostalgia or record company hypes. Documentary on the Delta blues.
Over a series of 5 nights in November 2007, Jeff Beck performed, along with special guests, at Ronnie Scott's Club in Soho, London. The small venue was filled with a packed audience every night. Guest appearances include Joss Stone, Imogen Heap, Eric Clapton and the Big Town Playboys. Bonus features include interviews with Jeff Beck and the band members, as well as a rockabilly set with the Big Town Playboys.
Blurring the line between documentary and fiction, THE BLUES UNDER THE SKIN dramatizes the tumultuous relationship of a young couple (Onike Lee and Roland Sanchez) as they struggle to overcome the barriers of poverty and prejudice that keep them from finding happiness together.
The film chronicles Nina Simone's journey from child piano prodigy to iconic musician and passionate activist, told in her own words.
John Mayer: Someday I'll Fly chronicles the musical evolution of one of the most influential solo artists of his generation. Featuring rare demos, interviews and live performances; it is told in it's entirety from Mayer's perspective. Centered mostly on his career and professional accomplishments, Someday I'll Fly strips away the typical gossip surrounding Mayer to provide an intimate look at the life and career of a lauded musician.
The story of The Blues traces the four main traditions of blues music: Form Blues, Blues, Urban Blues and Blues Electric. The blues has evolved and diversified, and filtered into a surprising variety of styles in contemporary music. In the blues the history of music was released. A look at the roots, origins and the subsequent influence of style the film explores the blues significant contribution to the development of jazz, rock and country and western music. Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Alexander Texas, and many more artists are featured through the film.
Robert Johnson was one of the most influential blues guitarists ever. Even before his early death, fans wondered if he'd made a pact with the Devil.
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
From America's deep South, to Detroit and New York this captivating and enlightening documentary special traces the evolution of blues through pivotal moments in American history. Brewer discovers that there was no music called 'the blues' when its creators just stepped into a new feel of musical expressionism… just a means of releasing a lifetime of pain and oppression, from which music, momentarily, set them free.
Albert King & B.B. King live at the Japan Blues Carnival 1989.
Long Island (aka the Big Fish) was home to a blues scene that was one of the most incredible and fantastic musical experiences. From the early 1960's through the 1990's, people went to music clubs to hear the blues. Long Island was a home base to many of the top blues musicians who had fans from all over the world. Back in the day, fans would follow them weekly from club to club while their popularity grew worldwide. The Big Fish Blues documentary reveals a genre and a host of incredible performances by these Long Island blues greats. You will also learn about their journeys to success from their personal stories. So sit back, relax, let your hair down, and simply have some fun as you experience the "Blues way of life."
Muddy Waters peforms in various taped clips during his later years as an elder statesman of the Chicago Blues.
It's 1959 in a seedy bar in Philadelphia, and Billie Holiday is giving one of her last performances interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music 4 months before her death.