The American Folk Blues Festival (AFBF) was an annual event that featured the cream of American blues musicians barnstorming their way across Europe throughout the 60's. While audio recordings of these performances have long been available the video footage has never before been assembled. The impact of these annual tours had a profound impact on those that were in attendance. Future stars such as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page any many others were in the audience and 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.

Volume 1 contains performances by Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, T-Bone Walker, Memphis Slim, Otis Rush, Lonnie Johnson, Sippie Wallace, Eddie Boyd, Walter Horton, Junior Wells, Big Joe Williams, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Otis Spann and Earl Hooker. Half the performances were filmed on a stage with background scenery while the other half seems to be filmed in a concert hall. The vibrant Chicago blues scene of the time is represented by magnificent performances of Otis Rush playing with restrained intensity on his classic "I Can't Quit You Baby" and Rush also plays with Junior Wells on an impassioned "Hoodoo Man Blues." Both men exude a super cool attitude that's mesmerizing to watch. Chicago blues piano is represented by Eddie Boyd featuring Buddy Guy on guitar running through a rock solid version of Boyd's immortal "Five Long Years" and Otis Spann who rocks the blues on "Spann's Blues." Spann introduces his boss Muddy Waters as the "man who brought the blues from the country to the city" as Waters launches into an unusually low-down version of "Got My Mojo Working." The older generation is represented by an elegant and dapper Lonnie Johnson who's guitar/vocals are simply dazzling on "Another Night To Cry" and the big voiced Sippie Wallace with Little Brother Montgomery on piano on the charming "Woman Be Wise." One of the real standouts is Sonny Boy Williamson who saunters on stage like a cool hipster with a goatee and mischievous gleam in his eye. Sonny Boy delivers a knockout version of "Nine Below Zero" backed by Otis Spann on the ivories. Things wrap up with all the performers taking vocal turns and then singing in unison on a rousing "Bye Bye Blues." The DVD also includes a bonus track of Earl Hooker as he fools around unplugged backstage clowning around like Hank Williams before stepping on stage to deliver a blistering set of electric blues. Hard to believe he would be dead in four months.

Volume 2 contains performances by Sonny Boy Williamson, Sunnyland Slim, Willie Dixon, Lightnin' Hopkins, Victoria Spivey, Memphis Slim, T-Bone Walker, Roosevelt Sykes, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Howlin' Wolf, Big Mama Thornton and Magic Sam. This disc kicks off with a pair of Sonny Boy performances from 1964 and as in the previous volume he's mesmerizing to watch. "Bye Bye Bird" is short solo piece as Sonny Boy coaxes some amazing sounds from his small harmonica while "In My Younger Days" features a full band including Sunnyland Slim on piano and Hubert Sumlin laying down some great licks. In fact Sumlin's guitar work is outstanding throughout particularly on the three numbers he plays with his boss Howlin' Wolf. Wolf's performances are the highlight of this set and are some of the toughest, most intense blues ever committed to film. Wolf looms larger than life, singing with every fiber of his being on "Shake For Me", "puts you way down in the woods" with the emotionally wracked "I'll Be Back Someday", sounding like the second coming of Charlie Patton before finishing up with the equally intense "Love Me Darlin'." An elegant T-bone Walker, who appears in the first volume with Shakey Jake, is another standout. His jazzy, mellow electric guitar work sounds timeless on "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong." Matt "Guitar" Murphy steps out front from Memphis Slim's band to deliver the technically dazzling "Murphy's Boogie" that shows a huge T-Bone influence. Lonnie Johnson makes a return appearance this time with an old partner from the 20's, Victoria Spivey. She looks like she's having a ball as she delivers a spectacular version of her 1926 classic "Black Snake Blues." The DVD also includes two incredible bonus tracks by Magic Sam from 1969 as he delivers some searing Chicago blues including his classic "All Your Love." This footage comes from the same show as Earl Hooker's in the first volume, Sam is even playing Hooker's guitar, and like Hooker he would be dead shortly after this performance (he died of a heart attack at age 32).

This is a landmark release and nowhere else will you find blues performances of this magnitude all in one place. These two volumes are essential to any blues library and come with the highest possible recommendation. Look for Volume 3 to be released in the Spring.