If like me, you love watching the old masters at play, then you're in for a
real treat.
Household names like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Span, Memphis Slim
and Willie Dixon feature alongside lesser stars such as Billy Stepney, Victoria
Spivey, Matt ‘Guitar' Murphy and Big Joe Williams.
To use the DVD package notes, the 1960 European tours by American Blues artists
were legendary. They introduced a music that had only been previously available
on hard-to-find discs to a new generation of young people and changed the face
of our popular music forever. Blues fans finally got a chance to see theirs
idols in the flesh with many of them caught on film.
This concert, filmed in the UK in black and white, captures the momentous night
they all appeared on stage in just over 37 minutes.
Introduced by a very relaxed John Len Chatman aka Memphis Slim sitting at his
piano, he was responsible for bringing jump blues to the masses by fronting
several bands, making over 500 recordings that included blues standard Every Day
I Have The Blues, in 1947. While tinkling away at a 'music bed' of I Hear The
Blues, he introduces the gig with, "Thank you very kindly ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight we bring you the story of the blues and we have with us many
story-tellers. First we'd like to bring a very fine drummer from Chicago... the
name of Billy Stepney and on guitar, the one-and-only Matt 'Guitar' Murphy".
First star turn added to the line-up is bassist Willie Dixon who wrote You Shook
Me, (made famous on Led Zeppelin 1) Hoochie Coochie Man and Little Red Rooster,
famously covered by The Rolling Stones. Here he casually strolls through the
humourously stuttering I'm N-N-Nervous to the great delight of his fans. His
upright double bass playing is economical to say the least, but exquisite
nevertheless.
Next to feature is Guitar Murphy ,who amazingly never had his own band until
1982 and featured in The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000 films as Aretha
Franklin's hen-pecked hubby, which in turn make him one of the hottest
guitarists in the States. Here he plays self-penned Matt's Guitar Boogie, which
has more rock'n'roll influences than the blues. The tight rhythm section of
Dixon and Stepney allow his digital mastery to run riot. Apparently the only man
playing a nine-string guitar at the time was Mississippi born Joseph Lee
Williams, better known as Big Joe Williams. Big Joe was famous for his Delta
Blues style on heavily modified acoustic guitars and here gives an unaccompanied
master class on classic Baby Please Don't Go from 1935. It was a big hit for
Them, featuring Van Morrison 1964.
They collectively storm through the late Big Bill Broonzy's All By Myself, again
featuring some sizzling solos by Dixon and Murphy, with Slim doing a fine job on
vocals.
Next we get Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson on acoustic guitar. He made his name as the
first to play single-string solos, which he uses in playing Last Chance Blues.
Truly spell-binding stuff. He was a pretty useful singer too. Sweetheart of the
'group' was multi-instrumentalist 'Queen' Victoria Spivey who ivory-tinkles her
1927, T B Blues, in a comic laidback style.
Aleck Ford, aka Sonny Boy Williamson 11, often referred to as 'The King Of The
Harmonica' strolls onstage donning a bowler hat, umbrella and brief case, with
his harmonica in his jacket's top pocket. Stylishly, he slips into Keep It To
Yourself. It's easy to see why he inspired rock legends Robert Plant and Mick
Jagger to play the instrument.
Arguably the greatest bluesman of all time - 'Father of Chicago Blues' ,
five-time Grammy winner McKinley Morganfield, Muddy Waters to you and I, takes
to the stage to deliver his signature tune Got My Mojo Working which he recorded
in 1957. Famed for his unique guitar sound, he surprisingly turns up with out
his axe, which must have disappointed fans. Ending this great gig, the ensemble
tuck into a stirring rendition of By Bye Baby, Goodbye.
Due to age, this DVD's material contains a few minor visual glitches, though the
audio is excellent.
The verdict - must see-hear.
Bonus material: three audio tracks from Victoria Spivey (Garter Snake Blues) ,
Lonnie Johnson (Careless Love) and Big Joe Williams (49 Highway Blues), plus
images and biographies.
Elly Roberts
