All those people telling you this is essential blues material are right on the spot; the best blues artists performing with gusto, energy and verve, electrifying today's viewer (yours truly) who was not even born when they made these mesmerizing trips to Europe...
Memphis Slim doing (alas, too short) "Everyday I Have the Blues", Victoria Spivey backed by Sonny Boy Williamson and Lonnie Johnson, Willie Dixon on his bass all over the place, Big Mama Thornton rocking the place on her harmonica (with the support to hot to mention), T-Bone Walker being blue and subtle (with the reliable cast of Slim-p, Dixon-b and Jump Jackson-dm), Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee doing "Stranger Blues" ... And, yes, the one and only Howlin' Wolf growling the best blues you can imagine...
The only complaint is that the lovely booklet has the same text found in volume one's booklet, but at least the pictures are different (and equally sensational)...
It's really incredible that European Tv stations gave greater attention to these giants than the television in their homeland, the land of the brave...
Well; the line-ups:
1. - Sonny Boy Williamson: vocal, harmonica
2. - Williamson: vocal, harm., Sunnyland Slim-p, Hubert Sumlin-g, Willie Dixon-b, Clifton James-dm
3. - Sunnyland Slim-p, Hubert Sumlin-g, Willie Dixon-b, Clifton James-dm
4. - W. Dixon-Vocal,b, T-Bone Walker-g, Memphis Slim-p, Jump Jackson-dm
5.- Lightnin' Hopkins-Vo,g, W. Dixon-b, C. James-dm
6,- Victoria Spivey-vo, Lonnie Johnson-g, S. B. Williamson-harmonica, W. Dixon-b, Bill Stepney-dm
7.-M. Slim-vo,p, Matt Guitar Murphy-g, Dixon-b, Stepney-dm
8.-T-Bone Walker-Vo,g, M. Slim-p, Dixon-vo,b, Jump Jackson-dm
9,-Roosevelt Sykes-Vo,p, Jack Myers-b, Fred Below-dm
10.- W.Dixon-b,vo, M. Slim-p, Matt Guitar Murphy-g, Stepney-dm
11.- Matt G. Murphy-g, M. Slim-p, Dixon-b, Stepney-dm
12.-S. Terry-vo,harmonica, B. McGhee-vo,g
13., 14., 15.-Howlin' Wolf-vo,g, Hubert Sumlin-g, Sunnyland Slim-p, Dixon-b, Clifton James-dm
16.- Big Mama Thornton, Shakey Horton, J.B.Lenoir, Doctor Ross, John Lee Hooker-harmonicas, Buddy Guy-g, Lonesome Jimmy Lee-b, Fred Below-dm;
Bonus tracks:
Magic Sam-vo,g, Mack Thompson-b, Robert St.Julien-dm