Film history of Chicago blues to debut at Sundance

This blog is all about music festivals, but when a film festival puts the focus on music, that's interesting, too. At the Sundance Film Festival, running currently in Park City UT, the blues documentary film Electrified-The Story of the Maxwell Street Urban Blues will premiere January 25 at a screening and live music performance at Harry O's in Park City.

Electrified tells the familiar story of the Chicago blues from the perspective of the city neighborhood, Maxwell Street, that provided the cultural medium in which the music grew. The film is narrated by actor Joe Mantegna and features interviews with bluesmen Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmie Lee Robinson and Bo Diddley.

Acclaimed blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and blues legend Hubert Sumlin will perform, while actor Chevy Chase emcees, at the Sundance premiere. The film's executive producer will present a limited-edition Fender guitar for a charity auction.

A dozen video clips from Electrified and a companion movie Cheat You Fair, about the last days of the Maxwell Street Market, are available for viewing at YouTube.

Johnny Mae Dunson Performing on Maxwell Street

Video by maxwellstreetdoc

Second Night of Chicago Blues Festival Announced

As if veterans James Cotton and Johnny Winter won't provide enough fireworks on the first night of the Chicago Blues Festival, the second is filled with more dependable blockbuster acts. Koko Taylor and Eddy Clearwater, who have collectively won over 30 W.C. Handy Awards, are leading the group, along with Ruby Andrews, Cicero Blake and Jackie Ross all participating in a set of past highlights of the festival (now in its 25th year). It's estimated that over 750,000 people attend the festival every year, and some of this might be due to the fact that the festival's four days are free, surely making it one of the top 10 blues fest deals in the country.

Johnny Winter and James Cotton to return for 25th Chicago Blues fest

This announcement just in from the City of Chicago's Office of Special Events:

Chicago is setting the stage for the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival, a lakefront tradition in beautiful Grant Park, June 5-8, 2008, with opening night headliners that honor the city’s first blues festival.

Just as in 1984, opening night pays tribute to Muddy Waters featuring headliners Johnny Winter and James Cotton, performing Thursday, June 5 at the Petrillo Music Shell.

Winter hasn’t performed at the event since the very first Chicago Blues Festival, creating a much anticipated and exciting show! For more than 30 years, the native Texan has been one of the most respected singers and guitar players in the rock and blues scene. His trademark sound shifts between simple country blues, to all-out electric slide guitar blues-rock. Winter has been nominated for several Grammy® awards, and most recently earned a W.C. Handy award.

Mississippi-born harmonica player James Cotton is a Chicago Blues Festival veteran. In 1954, Muddy Waters was in need of a harp player, introduced himself to Cotton and hired him for his band. Breakin’It Up, Breakin’ It Down is a recently released album featuring James Cotton, Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter during a brief tour. This evening’s set will reprise the one performed at the inaugural blues festival.

In 1984, the very first Chicago Blues Festival took place in Grant Park, paying tribute to Muddy Waters, who passed away the year prior. The three-night festival included performers such as Winter, Cotton, Bobby Rush, Buckwheat Zydeco, Billy Branch, Willie Dixon, Magic Slim, Sunnyland Slim, John Lee Hooker, and more.

Pinetop Perkins, Honeyboy Edwards and other blues luminaries in the Muddy Waters vein are scheduled for this year’s Chicago Blues Festival, while up-and-coming blues performers such as Fernando Jones and the Columbia College Blues Ensemble pave the way for the future of Chicago blues.

The festival has grown tremendously, and now features more than ninety performances on six stages and extended hours of 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Chicago Blues Festival is known world-wide
as one of the biggest and best Blues events on the planet, drawing hundreds of thousands of people from around the world to Grant Park, year after year.

Celebrating twenty-five years will be a memorable experience for people of all ages, with many exciting acts and programs featured, including larger seating areas, a children’s program, folk art from Mississippi, and more! Stay tuned for more headliners to be announced in the next few weeks!

Chicago Blues Festival is sponsored by 93XRT, Chicago Tribune, CLTV-Chicagoland’s Television, Dominick’s, Hinckley Springs, U.S. Cellular, WGN-Television and more generous sponsors to be announced. For more information, visit www.chicagobluesfestival.us or call 312/744-3315. For hotel information, visit www.choosechicago.com