In 1962, two gutsy German concert promoters flew a host of top African-American blues musicians overseas to perform a string of shows in France, West Germany, Scandinavia, and England. The package tour was so successful it became an annual event that ran until 1970. For four years – 1962-1966 – these concerts were televised by Südwestfunk, one of Germany’s broadcast networks. Using state-of-the-art cameras and audio equipment, Südwestfunk producers taped performances by Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, T-Bone Walker, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Lonnie Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and a passel of other greats. Unseen for 40 years, these well-preserved tapes were recently rediscovered, transferred to DVD, and released as a two-disc set, The American Folk Blues Festival 1962 – 1966.
Viewing these DVDs is like stumbling into a time warp: Rarely – if ever – did these musicians perform on American TV in the ‘60s. Consequently, there’s precious little domestic footage of these giants coursing through the data stream. In fact, most blues fans have never actually seen Sonny Boy Williamson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, or Howlin’ Wolf work their mojo. But now we can, thanks to these discs.
Some highlights: The poised and urbane Lonnie Johnson, who started recording in the mid-‘20s, performs a swinging blues accompanied by a young Otis Spann on piano and the masterful Willie Dixon on upright bass. Backed by a piano trio, T-Bone Walker delivers a stunning version of “Don’t Throw Your Love On Me So Strong.” His playing is packed with the trademark phrases and fat, archtop tones that set the standard for electric blues guitar in the ‘40s. It’s exciting to watch Otis Rush – armed with an Epiphone Riviera and looking sharp in his suit, skinny tie, and shades – fill “I Can’t Quit You Baby” with fluid, reverb-drenched lines. A 29-years old, Strat-weilding Buddy Guy makes several appearances in one of the killer house bands. Howlin’ Wolf turns in three supremely intense performances with a young Hubert Sumlin on lead guitar. As Sumlin wrenches quivering bends and stinging vibrato from his P-90-equipped goldtop Les Paul, we hear the sounds that Eric Clapton would build on two years later in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
One of the most amazing performances comes from Mississippi Fred McDowell, who plucks wicked slide riffs on a weathered acoustic archtop in “Going Down To The River.” McDowell was 61 when this song was taped, yet his tight vibrato, razor-sharp intonation, and burning eyes prove he was in peak form. Thumbing his thinline electric and staring intently into the camera, John Lee Hooker unleashes a menacing boogie, “Hobo Blues.” We can only imagine what the good burghers in TV-land thought about Hooker’s carnal rhythms. Sonny Boy Williamson spins a chilling tale of betrayal in “Nine Below Zero,” and then joins alpha-bluesman Muddy Waters and his band in a rousing “Got My Mojo Working.”
Half the performances in this collection were shot in front of a live audience – a group of enthusiastic, but very proper young Germans – in a formal concert hall. It was a novel arrangement: Many of the listeners had never before seen live blues or even African-Americans, and most of the musicians were more comfortable wailing in smoky clubs and noisy juke joints than entertaining rows of attentive spectators. It’s amazing to watch both parties use a mutual love of music to bridge their superficial differences.
The remaining performances occur on elaborate stage sets – some evoking Chicago streets, others rural roadhouses. Seen from today’s perspective, these theatrical backgrounds can seem strange, quaint, or even patronizing. But in early-‘60s Germany, such visual enhancements were likely necessary to emphasize the cultural aspect of this exotic and compelling music.
In addition to the many marvelous songs culled from four years of the Südwestfunk broadcasts, we’re treated to some incredible bonus footage from 1969. On the first disc, Earl Hooker does a hilarious parody of hillbilly music in the dressing room, and then goes beserk onstage with his Univox Les Paul copy through a Sound City half-stack. On the second disc, Magic Sam borrows Hooker’s rig to rip through “All Your Love”and lay down a grinding boogie. Both discs contain a gallery of photos shot by Stephanie Wiesand during the various tours, and are packaged with informative and well-illustrated liner notes. We learn fascinating background details, including how during WWII the Gestapo arrested Horst Lippman – one of the festival’s two promoters – for publishing newsletters on the forbidden topic of American Jazz.
It’s fair to say that these folk blues festivals altered the course of popular music, and especially guitar. Jimmy Page, Brian Jones, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were among the many young British musicians who sought out their blues gods when they rolled into England as part of an AFBF tour. The Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and Animals are among the many British R& B bands that sprang directly from these encounters. We’re lucky to have such an emotionally satisfying chronicle of this pivotal moment in blues and rock history.
