Guy, Buddy

Festival Express

Festival Express is a rousing record of a little-known but monumental moment in rock n' roll history starring such music legends as Janis Joplin The Band and the Grateful Dead. Set in 1970 Festival Express was a multi-band multi-day extravaganza that captured the spirit and imagination of a generation and a nation. What made it unique was that it was portable; for five days the bands and performers lived slept rehearsed and did countless unmentionable things aboard a customized train that traveled from Toronto to Calgary to Winnipeg with each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The entire experience both off-stage and on was filmed but the extensive footage remained locked away -- until now.A momentous achievement in rock film archeology Festival Express combines this long-lost material with contemporary interviews nearly 35 years after it was first filmed.Running Time: 89 min. Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS UPC: 794043757327 Manufacturer No: N7573

The vintage concert footage alone makes Festival Express a memorable and worthwhile endeavor, offering scintillating performances by Janis Joplin, the Band (their rollicking version of "Slippin' and Slidin'" is particularly mind-blowing), the Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, and others (remember Mashmakhan?). In 1970, during the heyday of the rock festival, promoter Ken Walker decided to organize a traveling musical revue, bringing the mountain to Mohammed, as it were. In five days' time, the festival played in three Canadian cities with the entire conglomeration traveling, playing, and getting smashed together the whole way. Nearly as rewarding as the live performances are the candid scenes of the train ride itself, an endless jam session and party during which musicians of all shapes and sizes let their hair down--musically and otherwise. The contemporary interviews with Walker and some of the surviving musicians aren't particularly noteworthy, except as a way to prove that it all actually happened. Walker comes off as a hero in the film: he treated the musicians like royalty and insisted that the train roll on even though he was losing his shirt. (His financial failure is a large reason why this material stayed in the vaults for so long.) Perhaps the most remarkable scene is an off-the-cuff, LSD-fueled train jam featuring Joplin, the Band's Rick Danko, and the Dead's Jerry Garcia playing the old chestnut "Ain't No More Cane." Danko is so obliterated that even Janis has to ask him if he's OK--when Janis is worried about your state of mind, you must be pretty messed up. --Marc Greilsamer

Lightning In a Bottle: A One Night History of the Blues

On February 7 2003 renowned artists across music genres and generations commandeered the stage at New York City's Radio City Music Hall to pay tribute to their common heritage and passion: the blues. Shared with thousands of fans in attendance legendary performers from the roots of rock jazz and rap joined forces for a once-in-a-lifetime salute to the blues benefit concert whose proceeds went to musical education. Executive produced by Martin Scorcese produced by Alex Gibney and directed by Antoine Fuqua LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE captures the night's magic and weaves a history of blues through the juxtaposition of performers backstage interviews rehearsals and archival clips of some of the greatest names in American music from blues royalty like Buddy Guy and B. B. King to their musical heirs ranging from John Fogerty and Bonnie Raitt to Mos Def and Indie.Arie.System Requirements:Running Time: 108 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396069183 Manufacturer No: 06918

Part concert, part history lesson, part summit meeting, and all blues, Lightning in a Bottle puts a bright spotlight on this quintessential American music. There are some heavy hitters at work here, both behind the camera (Martin Scorsese executive produced, while the film was directed by Antoine Fuqua of Training Day and King Arthur) and especially in front of it, with a superb house band and a mind-boggling array of musicians (including B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Solomon Burke, Keb' Mo', Macy Gray, the Neville Brothers, Robert Cray, and John Fogerty, to name but a few) performing at New York's Radio City Music Hall in February, 2003. The idea was to trace the music from its beginnings; thus we get an African song (by Angelique Kidjo), some early gospel blues (the great Mavis Staples), acoustic Delta blues, and so on, right up to blues-drenched electric rock and even some rap (a riveting version of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" by Chuck D.). Virtually all of the immortals who defined the blues (Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and even Jimi Hendrix, whose fiery style is re-enacted by Buddy Guy) enter the picture, either through vintage film clips or new performances of their songs. One might wish for more insight into the influence of the blues on jazz (Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," sung here by India.Arie, is a fine song, but it's not a blues tune) or country, but overall, Lightning in a Bottle is an edifying and, most important, highly entertaining portrait of the music and its heritage. --Sam Graham

A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan

Already a legend among musicians, Stevie Ray Vaughan was bringing new relevance and popularity to the blues when his career was cut short in a fatal helicopter accident following a 1990 concert appearance. His music offered the drama and sheer firepower of rock, and his flamboyant live shows likewise proved well suited to arena-sized crowds, yet there was little argument that Vaughan's fealty to the blues remained at the core of his style. This 1996 concert tribute underscores that common denominator through muscular performances from contemporary blues masters who readily (and appropriately) confirm the Texas guitarist as a true peer--it's no small matter that bona fide influences Buddy Guy and B.B. King cite the honoree on an equal plane with Vaughan's most obvious rock forebear, Jimi Hendrix.

King and Guy are among the stars who interpret Vaughan's own songbook in live performances backed by either his old band, Double Trouble, or the larger Tilt-a-Whirl Band. Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Dr. John, and the late guitarslinger's big brother, Jimmie Vaughan (himself a major figure since his days with the Fabulous Thunderbirds) all pay gritty musical homage noteworthy for powerhouse guitar work. Whether clad in coveralls (Guy) or Armani (Clapton, of course), each reaches the same common ground in the soul-deep language of the blues; equally important, the choice of material points up Vaughan's sure sense of blues song form and a penchant for tough, frequently witty lyrics that fit snugly into blues traditions. The 80-minute concert also intersperses brief interviews with the principals, with the music building toward a satisfying climax in three high-octane jams featuring the headliners in lively exchanges. The DVD optimizes the full-frame visuals of the original videotaped special, and the 5.1 audio mix likewise fine-tunes the straightforward stereo mix with some added ambience. --Sam Sutherland

Antone's Home of the Blues

Renowned club owner and blues aficionado Clifford Antone s life and career are celebrated in this extraordinary film. Performances by blues legends Buddy Guy B.B. King Stevie Ray Vaughan Albert Collins Pinetop Perkins and more ignite the stage along with contemporary and archival footage that capture the magic that famed Austin blues club Antone s bottled on a nightly basis for over 29 years. In addition to the musical performances Antone s: Home of the Blues also includes interviews with Clifford Antone as well as B.B. King Willie Nelson ZZ Top s Billy Gibbons Buddy Guy Jimmie Vaughan and much more in this exciting glimpse into the magic of the blues.System Requirements:Running Time: 91 MinFormat: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS UPC: 741952638094 Manufacturer No: KOC-DV-6380

Buddy Guy: Teachin' the Blues

A unique chance to learn from the greatest Chicago Blues guitarist of them all! Buddy reveals what he learned from Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, and Lightnin' Hopkins in a DVD lesson of exceptional quality. Buddy shows you a whole bunch of licks, techniques and styles including 9th chord licks, country blues finger-pickin', double-stop licks, turnarounds-plus some exciting jamming with Junior Wells and Arlen Roth. A supreme lesson in The Blues from the man Eric Clapton once called "by far and without doubt, the best guitar player alive!"

Eric Clapton: 24 Nights

John Lee Hooker - That's My Story

"The world's greatest blues singer"? That's arguable, but there's no doubt that the late John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was in a class by himself, a genuine original whose music--raw, primitively simple, scary even, powered by his deep moan of a voice--was the very embodiment of the Delta blues style. Big names like Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, and many more line up to pay tribute to the man in this absorbing 90-minute documentary; there are also plenty of interviews with family, friends, business associates, and the grizzled, laconic bluesman himself, along with some decent performance footage (as is usual in such projects, we get no complete songs). But this 2000 film's best moments come courtesy of writer-director Joerg Bundschuh's beautifully photographed contemporary footage, with no accompaniment except the hypnotic groove and profound soul of John Lee Hooker's music. --Sam Graham

A teenage runaway who never went to school, John Lee Hooker had trouble spelling his name, even into his eighties. But, despite these humble beginnings, John Lee Hooker is today considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century--the God

Most Famous Hits: Tribute to Muddy Waters

Jammin' with the Blues Greats

This is an absolute must for any fan of the blues, be it classic American blues or the more raucous English style that took off in the '60s. In 1982 John Mayall reunited the top members from several versions of his outfit, The Bluesbreakers, and hit the road. Bassist John McVie (later of Fleetwood Mac) represented the early '60s line-up, while Collin Allen and the great Mick Taylor (of Rolling Stones fame) came from the late '60s reincarnation. This DVD captures a show at the Capitol Theater in New Jersey, where Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, for one night, played with the heroes who inspired them. In a style much like The Last Waltz, the band plays one of their numbers (among them "The Dark Side of Midnight," "Room to Move," and "My Time After Awhile") and then are joined by blues legends. Fiery guitarist Albert King rips through "Why Are You So Mean to Me?" and his classic "Born Under a Bad Sign," before melting the audience with "They Call It Stormy Monday." The impeccably dressed duo of Junior Wells and Buddy Guy offer up "Messin' with the Kid," and "Don't Start Me Talkin'." Perhaps the high points, however, belong to the ladies. A saucy Etta James grinds her way through "Baby, What You Want Me to Do," while 80-year-old legend Sippie Wallace demonstrates that she's not too old to down a beer and blast out the blues with "Shorty George." Everyone takes the stage for a massive "C.C. Rider" jam at the conclusion, topping off an excellent DVD that will stun any blues lover. --Dave McCoy

It was a night when the legends played; when English Blues met Chicago and Memphis Blues, and something magical happened. One hot night in June, 1982 at New Jersey's Capitol Theater, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers paid homage to and were joined by five blues immortals: Albert King, Etta James, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and 83-year-old Sippie Wallace. Awesome is the only word to describe the amazing musical moments on the night the legends came out to play. Songs: An Eye for an Eye, My Time After Awhile, The Dark Side of Midnight, Room to Move (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers), Baby What You Want Me to Do (Etta James), Messin' with the Kid, Don't Start Me Talkin' (Buddy Guy & Junior Wells), Shorty George (Sippie Wallace), Why Are You So Mean to Me?, Born Under a Bad Sign, Call It Stormy Monday (Albert King), C.C. Rider Jam (Company).

John Lee Hooker: That's My Story [Region 2]

"The world's greatest blues singer"? That's arguable, but there's no doubt that the late John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was in a class by himself, a genuine original whose music--raw, primitively simple, scary even, powered by his deep moan of a voice--was the very embodiment of the Delta blues style. Big names like Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, and many more line up to pay tribute to the man in this absorbing 90-minute documentary; there are also plenty of interviews with family, friends, business associates, and the grizzled, laconic bluesman himself, along with some decent performance footage (as is usual in such projects, we get no complete songs). But this 2000 film's best moments come courtesy of writer-director Joerg Bundschuh's beautifully photographed contemporary footage, with no accompaniment except the hypnotic groove and profound soul of John Lee Hooker's music. --Sam Graham