Documentaries About The Blues

Documentaries About The Blues

Here are some of the documentaries about the blues which we recommend to our readers.

Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey

Blues Britannia – Can Blues Men Sing The Whites

Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgimage To The Crossroads (1991)

also see Deep Blues by Robert Palmer in our Recommended Books

Blues America, Part 1 of 2, Woke Up This Morning

Blues America, Part 2 of 2, Bright Lights Big City

Sweet Home Chicago

Alan Lomax – The Land Where The Blues Began

Fresh Live Cream (1993)

Roll Over Beethoven – Chess Records Story (2010)

Led Zeppelin Story, which emphasizes the influence of the blues on British music

Here’s a 1993 BBC video about Big Bill Broonzy visiting Britain in the 1950’s.

Here’s a very good video of major blues artists performing in Britain between 1963 and 1966. Performers include Sonny Boy Williamson (4:49), Muddy Waters (5:00-8:35), Lonnie Johnson (8:35-13:40), Big Joe Williams (13:52-16:48), Sonny Boy Williamson (16:55-25:24) Lightnin’ Hopkins (25:41-33:44), Howlin’ Wolf (40:00-49:30), Big Joe Turner (49:34-53:20), Junior Wells (53:42-58:00)

This is another video of some major blues musicians performing in the U.K., 1962-1966. Much of this video appears in the video above.

Here’s a video about Blind Willie McTell

Rhythm Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi in April 1940. The Mississippi Department of Archives & History has placed a marker at the Rhythm Club Fire site. This documentary was made in 2013.

Here’s a three part documentary series called A History of the Blues, made in 1999:

Part 2 of A History of the Blues, made in 1999:

Part 3 of A History of the Blues, made in 1999:

You See Me Laughin’: the Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen – (2002)

Here is a documentary about Eric Burdon & The Animals, who introduced several blues songs to a wider audience in the 1960’s:

Fender vs. Gibson

Would you like to leave a comment or question about anything on this page?