Blues Masters - The Essential History of the Blues

Starring:Leadbelly, Bessie Smith
Studio: Rhino / Wea
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Born on the plantations of the Mississippi Delta, the blues is America's root music. Few performances of the early masters were ever captured on film, but those that were are profoundly insightful and entertaining. On this DVD, enjoy these blues masters: Son House, Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, B.B. King , Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Big Joe Turner, Mamie Smith, Roy Milton with June Richmond, Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie, Ethel Waters with Count Basie, Big Bill Broonzy, Ida Cox, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Joe Williams with Jimmy Rushing. Approx 103 min. ?

Customer Reviews:

Could be better.......2007-04-07

Yes, I understand why the U.S. History lesson applies to the hisory of the Blues BUT: Did we really need to see video clips of JFK's presidency & his assassination as background to Jimmy Witherspoon's "Ain't Nobody's Business"? Was it misrepresentation to use late 1970's film footage to introduce Muddy Waters in the late 50's segment? Imagine my surprise to find Clifton Chenier, the king of Zydeco, listed as a Blues artist. Did they have to use the guy that recorded voiceovers in his bathroom for the Army's V.D. training films as the voiceover for this?
All I'm saying is, It could've been better.

Great DVD........2007-01-05

This DVD and the Howlin' Wolf Story are second only to the DVD, "The Blues." It is almost impossible to rank them because they are unique and very special in their own way. Should be in every one's collection.

History of Blues.......2006-11-05

"The Essential History of the Blues" is just exactly what the title implies. For anyone interested in understanding more about the origin of the blues, as well as, some of the first recordings, this would be an excellent addition to their music library.

For Blues Fans.......2006-08-14

If you have a real interest in blues music and those who created it, this DVD can be a jaw dropper. It's well worth the price.

Going down to the River.......2006-05-09

This is an absolutely fantastic DVD of historic Blues performances. There are COMPLETE (not clips) song performances by many great Blues greats including Leadbelly, Son House, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and several others. The performance by Leadbelly is galvanizing. All of the clips are highly entertaining, many of them in unusual formats, such as the imaginative Jimmy Rushing dramatization of his song. Jazz-blues performances by performers such as Billie Holiday and Count Basie are also included. In between the performances, the narrator tells about key episodes in African-American history and the history of the Blues. Accompanying the narration are historic photos, video clips, and more music. As a college teacher, I find this an ideal video for classes on African-American culture and literature.

Unlike many documentaries, there are NO talking heads, NO pretentious "musicologists" boring us with their large vocabularies. The heart of this video is the music and the cultural background. Kudos to the producers of this excellent video. All producers of music history films should be forced to view this model music documentary.

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