Blues as a genre shaped the sound of jazz in the early 20th century and directly led to the creation of rock 'n' roll in the '50s. The scales, chords, and progressions of blues as a musical form can be found in styles from jazz to rock to contemporary R&B.
Keith DavidSelf - Host
Robert PalmerSelf - CommentatorAlbert MurraySelf - Commentator
Chuck BerrySelf (archive footage)
Louis ArmstrongSelf (archive footage)
Count BasieSelf (archive footage)Big Bill BronzySelfWillie DixonSelfW.C. HandySelf
John Lee HookerSelf
The story of James Cotton, harmonica powerhouse, whose music shaped blues and rock. Orphaned at 9, Cotton’s life tracks America’s history—from the post-depression cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to being mentored by the original Delta bluesmen, to Chicagoland’s artistic reinvention to the live music scene in Austin, Texas.
Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home where he and his brother Elwood were raised.
Live, documented at Chicago's Vic Theatre in April of 1996. 1 Thumbscrews 2 Fly On The Wall 3 Mailman 4 Destroy Before Reading 5 Thumper 6 Bloody Mary 7 Wheelchair Epidemic
Te Blues Explosion perform live at MTV Studios Europe in London on 29 October 1996.
One of the hottest R&B groups of all time, the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire in concert define excitement. Captured live on their remarkable 1994 sell-out tour of Japan, this performance showcases the band's distinctive style and raw energy and marks Maurice White's last taped appearance with the group in concert. Always dynamite on stage with their unmistakable sound and electrifying showmanship, Earth, Wind & Fire combine all the greatest elements of rock and soul! 1. September 2. Let Your Feelings Show 3. Let's Groove 4. Runnin' 5. Boogie Wonderland 6. Can't Hide Love 7. Fantasy 8. Kalimba Interlude 9. Evil 10. Shining Star 11. Keep Your Head To The Sky 12. Reasons 13. Sing A Song 14. That's The Way Of The World 15. Wouldn't Change A Thing About You 16. After The Love Is Gone 17. System Of Survival
Captured in state-of-the-art High Definition and mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, The New Orleans Concert ignites a massive celebration of Big Easy music past and present - redolent in jazz, rollicking piano renditions, classic rhythm and blues, contemporary funk and rock & roll, all as steamy as a sweltering Delta summer's evening. New Orleans' legends, including Allen Toussaint, The Neville Brothers, and legendary drummer Earl Palmer, are joined by Steve Jordan, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards and Joss Stone to create this extraordinary musical extravaganza, reminding the world once again that New Orleans is far more than just one nation's treasure.
In the summer of 1992 two filmmakers, Jeroen Berkvens and Walter Stokman, travelled through the United States of America. They were searching for tracks of the famous soulsinger Sly Stone.
Funk legend Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight for more than 20 years. Musicians and the media tried to find the recluse but failed. In 2005 Willem Alkema started searching for Sly. Sly didn't want to be found or filmed, but Willem didn't give up and finally followed Sly in his first steps on stage in decades.
One man's search for the prolific funk legend, Sly Stone.
"Philip Priestley's acclaimed film charts the history of Stax Records, the influential soul and blues record company founded in the 1960s by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Featuring music by an impressive roster of stars, including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes and Carla Thomas, The Soul of Stax chronicles the performers' rise through the industry and popular culture, the role played by many of them in the Civil Rights movement, and the label's eventual decline." - bfi.org.uk
Comedian/filmmaker Camille Solari spends the last year interviewing the legendary musical icon James Brown before his untimely death on Christmas 2006. The documentary includes interviews with his band members and many celebrity musicians who have been influenced by James Brown, including Patti Labelle, Chuck D (Public Enemy), Doug E Fresh, Emcee Lyte, Bobby Brown, Fergie, Wil.I.Am.
Finally released from prison, Elwood Blues is once again enlisted by Sister Mary Stigmata in her latest crusade to raise funds for a children's hospital. Hitting the road to re-unite the band and win the big prize at the New Orleans Battle of the Bands, Elwood is pursued cross-country by the cops.
The James Brown Story
This show brings together legendary artists of the 1960s and 1970s for a once-in-a-lifetime event: Ben E. King and The Drifters, Jerry Butler reuniting with The Impressions for the first time since 1958, as well as The Isley Brothers, Percy Sledge, Eddie Holman, Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Chi-Lites and many more performers singing their most memorable hits, rhythm & blues and soul classics from the '60s and '70s. In salute to several more of the greatest artists of the time, Rhythm and Blues 40: A Soul Spectacular also broadcasts rarely seen footage of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, James Brown, and others, performing some of their most unforgettable hits. The program is co-hosted by Dionne Warwick, Jerry "The Iceman" Butler,Sam Moore of Sam and Dave, each of whom also performs, and Richard "Shaft" Roundtree.
Following a childhood tragedy, Dewey Cox follows a long and winding road to music stardom. Dewey perseveres through changing musical styles, an addiction to nearly every drug known and bouts of uncontrollable rage.
During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America's history lost — until now.
James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early age, James Brown was a self-made man who became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, not just through his music, but also as a social activist. Charting his journey from rhythm and blues to funk, MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN features rare and previously unseen footage, photographs and interviews, chronicling the musical ascension of “the hardest working man in show business,” from his first hit, “Please, Please, Please,” in 1956, to his iconic performances at the Apollo Theater, the T.A.M.I. Show, the Paris Olympia and more.
In 2014, something unusual happened. On the strength of their breakthrough album Too Many Roads, Denmark's Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado went global. Now it's one thing for an artist from Copenhagen to enjoy success at home and in a few adjacent countries. But the release of Too Many Roads saw the seven-piece combo fronted by singer and guitarist Risager gaining widespread notoriety in the U.S. and being invited to play in locales as far away as Mumbai, India.