Search - Various Artists :: American Folk Blues Festival, 1962-1965

The celebrated performers featured on this five-disc box--John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Boy (Rice Miller) Williamson among them--were seasoned veterans when these recordings were made between 1962 and 1965. They were, however, far from over the hill. Brought to Europe as part of an annual barnstorming tour designed to introduce the blues to the old country, the forefathers (and a few mothers) of various strains of the genre basked in their chance to show their skills to appreciative foreign audiences. They also clearly enjoyed each other's company. The nature of the American Folk Blues road shows made for some fascination collaborations: The 1962 set, for example, finds Hooker, then in his brooding prime, backed by guitar legend T-Bone Walker--on piano! Willie Dixon (the MVP here), Otis Spann, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Mississippi Fred McDowell are just a few of the other legends who turn up in this expansive document of the blues revival that topped all blues revivals. --Steven Stolder