American Folk-Blues Festival: The British Tours 1963-1966

The American Folk Blues Festival (AFBF) was an annual event, beginning in 1962, that featured the cream of American blues musicians barnstorming their way across Europe. Audio recordings of these performances have long been available. Video footage, on the other hand, has been kicking around for years as poor grade bootlegs and occasionally shown on European television until Hip-O began issuing the material on DVD starting in 2003. The quality of the DVD’s has been superb, the performances outstanding, and the fourth installment, The American Folk-Blues Festival: The British Tours 1963-1966, is every bit as good.

The impact of these annual tours had a profound impact on those that were in attendance. One of those in attendance was noted blues researcher Mike Rowe who’s breezy, vivid recollections fill out the included booklet. Also in the audience were future stars such as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page any many others who were directly influenced by what they saw. The rise of blues based bands like the The Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and Animals can be directly attributed to the AFBF. 40 years later the footage of that great event is every bit as awe inspiring and will no doubt have a profound effect on a whole new generation of blues fans.

The 18 selections stem from two events - the bulk from the American Folk Blues Festival with extras from Blues and Gospel Caravan. Performers include Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Lonnie Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Howlin’ Wolf, Big Joe Turner, Junior Wells and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The backing bands themselves were brimming with talent including Otis, Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Little Brother Montgomery, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon and others.

With his pointy goatee, bowler hat and umbrella, Sonny Boy saunters on stage and mesmerizes the audience with an intimate, conversational version of “Keep It To Yourself.” A year later, in 1964, he’s back, sans the bowler for a wonderful solo rendition of “Bye By Bird” and backed by a full band, including the sparkling piano of Sunnyland Slim, on the gently shuffling “Getting Out of Town.”

A dapper Muddy Waters delivers a fine, if low boil, version of “Got My Mojo Working.” More interesting is “You Can’t Lose What You Never Had” and “Blow Wind Blow” from 1964’s Blues and Gospel Caravan. These performances were filmed at a Manchester railway station. It’s an odd bit of theatrics, with the station made up to look like a train station from the Old West as Muddy ambles into view with his coat and hat on, bag in hand, singing as he crosses the tracks, taking the stage where the band is already playing. Muddy lays down some outstanding electric slide on this number while on “Blow Wind Blow” he’s standing on the platform in the center of an enthusiastic crowd. Both numbers feature pianist Cousin Joe who introduces Muddy in the latter number. At the same event it’s Cousin Joe again who introduces Sister Rosetta Tharpe who makes her entrance in a horse drawn carriage. Rosetta straps on that big electric guitar and delivers a soaring, rocking version of “Didn’t It Rain” and a soulful rendition of “Trouble In Mind.”

Back to the AFBF we get a clinic in down home blues with marvelous solo performances by Big Joe Williams and Lightnin’ Hopkins. With his huge nine string guitar Big Joe delivers a powerful, clattering version of his signature tune “Baby Please Don’t Go.” If you’ve never seen live footage of Hopkins you’re in for a treat - he’s a captivating, charismatic performer, a born storyteller and of course an outstanding and utterly unpredictable guitar player who delivers two tour-de-force numbers.

Clearly the biggest applause is saved for the larger than life Howlin’ Wolf who dominates the stage like no one else. Wolf is is simply a force of nature as he puts across charged versions of “Smokestack Lightning” and the rollicking “Don’t Laugh At Me.” Wolf is backed by a terrific band including the incomparable Hubert Sumlin. In fact Sumlin is dazzling throughout, backing not only Wolf but Sonny Boy and Sugar Pie DeSanto.

Among the other performances everyone is at the top of their game including the pint sized dynamo Sugar Pie DeSanto, an unstoppable, gyrating Junior Wells who turns in a blistering James Brown inspired cover of “What’d I Say” and the imposing Big Joe Turner who like Wells is backed by a band that consists of Otis Rush and Little Brother Montgomery. I’m not sure what the audience quite thought of Lonnie Johnson who’s music was light years away from the gritty, down home blues that was so much in vogue. For his part Lonnie was magnificent on the elegant, solo blues ballad “Too Late To Cry”, a beautiful, subtle number seemingly a world apart from the other performances.