Review: American Folk Blues Festival (1962-69)

Subject: Review: American Folk Blues Festival (1962-69)
From: voyager
Date: 25 Aug 22 - 10:23 AM

Eureka .... I've struck it rich .... found myself viewing this series
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Folk_Blues_Festival

The American Folk Blues Festival was a music festival that toured Europe as an annual event for several years beginning in 1962. It introduced audiences in Europe, including the UK, to leading blues performers of the day such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson, most of whom had never previously performed outside the US. The tours attracted substantial media coverage, including TV shows, and contributed to the growth of the audience for blues music in Europe.

The showcase of Blues musicians is like a roster of the Gods - Blues musicians who performed on the American Folk Blues Festival tours included Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Sippie Wallace, T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Memphis Slim, Otis Rush, Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Boyd, Big Walter Horton, Junior Wells, Big Joe Williams, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, Big Mama Thornton, Bukka White, Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf (with a band made up of Sunnyland Slim, Hubert Sumlin, Willie Dixon and drummer Clifton James), Champion Jack Dupree, Son House, Armand "Jump" Jackson, Skip James, Sleepy John Estes, Little Brother Montgomery, Victoria Spivey, J. B. Lenoir, Little Walter, Carey Bell, Louisiana Red, Lightnin' Hopkins, Joe Turner, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Lee Jackson, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Roosevelt Sykes, Doctor Ross, Koko Taylor, Hound Dog Taylor, Archie Edwards,[8] Helen Humes and Sugar Pie DeSanto.

There are low-priced copies available for viewing.
Enjoy

voyager

Subject: RE: Review: American Folk Blues Festival (1962-69)
From: voyager
Date: 25 Aug 22 - 10:35 AM

Here's the 1969 show. This festival has continued as recent as 2001
1969 American Folk Blues Festival (online)

DIscography 1962-1985 (performers and tracks)

good stuff

Subject: RE: Review: American Folk Blues Festival (1962-69)
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 25 Aug 22 - 10:39 AM

Here's a corrected blicky to the Wikipedia article in the first post. Perhaps some kind MudElf will fix it ....

Subject: RE: Review: American Folk Blues Festival (1962-69)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 26 Aug 22 - 10:59 AM

I was one of those fortunate enough to have attended most of these shows from '63 onward, still have some of the posters a large number of photographs and many great memories.
Just a small point from the article above which includes Champion Jack Dupree in the 'cast' list. I am pretty sure that Jack wasn't on any of these shows. He first came to the UK in either 58 or 59, I still have a radio broadcast which he did in 1959 for the BBC. He actually took up residence in Yorkshire for a number of years and regularly toured the clubs here and elsewhere in Europe.

For blues minutiae freaks can I say that I and a couple of work colleagues brought two of theses musicians to the UK to make their European debut before they appeared on these festivals; Little Walter in 1964 and Buddy Guy in 1965.

Great days, great music.

Subject: RE: Review: American Folk Blues Festival (1962-69)
From: voyager
Date: 25 Nov 22 - 11:27 AM

Caught another segment on a flight home from Toronto -

American FolkBlues Festival 1960s

Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Mama Thornton
    Every Day I have the Blues (Willie Dixon on Bass)
    Big Heavy Mama – Roosevelt Sykes (‘the honeydripper’)
    Down Homes Shake Down (Big Mama Thornton and friends)

There’s a lot to learn at 35,000’ feet, flying above the clouds.

I'm sold.   Going to buy the disk set for my collection

'everyday I have the blues'
voyager