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This superb documentary vividly illustrates the enduring vitality of country blues, an idiom that most mainstream music fans had presumed dead or, at best, preserved through more scholarly tributes when filmmaker Robert Mugge and veteran blues and rock writer Robert Palmer embarked on their 1990 odyssey into Mississippi delta country. What Arkansas native and former Memphis stalwart Palmer knew, and Mugge captured on film, was that the blues was not only alive but still intimately woven into the daily lives of rural blacks. Palmer, a former rock musician and Memphis Blues Festival cofounder best known for his bylines in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, had already chronicled the saga of Southern blues in his seminal book that provides the film's title. He's an astute guide, and Mugge underlines this role by pairing him with British rocker Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), whose avid interest in the music makes him an effective foil. The film's real triumph, however, rests in the team's success in capturing modern day blues survivors and inheritors playing in the bars, juke joints, and barns of delta country. Palmer, who had returned several years earlier to the delta to capture these artists for his scrappy Fat Possum label, introduces us to the now-amplified but still elemental blues of R.L. Burnside, the late Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes, and other keepers of the faith. Mugge, whose profiles of Al Green, Sonny Rollins, and other musicians probed their cultural and artistic contexts with intelligence and sensitivity, captures both the music and the milieu in crisp color footage. Deep Blues thus triumphs as a testament to the blues' deep roots and an unintentional eulogy for Palmer, who would pass away in the mid-'90s just as the gut-bucket music of Burnside and Kimbrough served notice that the blues were alive and kicking. --Sam Sutherland

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What better way to cap off 2003, the "Year of the Blues," than with this eminently watchable documentary about Chester A. Burnett, better known as Howlin' Wolf? Arguably second only to Muddy Waters among the Mississippi Delta singers who traveled north and pioneered urban electric blues (their supposed rivalry is the subject of one of this DVD's bonus features), Wolf was a big, imposing man with an inimitable, booming voice and a lasting influence on generations of rock & rollers--all of which comes across in the 90-minute film. Not only do we get a history of his life (told by family members, musical associates like longtime guitarist Hubert Sumlin, and Wolf himself) that's far more entertaining than the norm for this genre, we also get some history of the blues in general. And not only do we hear snippets of Wolf's music, we hear several complete songs, including some priceless filmed performances. Quite simply, this one should become a touchstone for documentaries of its kind. --Sam Graham

The Film shot at North Atlantic Blues Festival and was never intended to become a DVD. It was shot in the Pouring rain with equipment shutdowns and all the good things that come with rain, cameras and sound. After the unforseen passing of LIttle Milton we new that this content was very important to the historical value of Blues Music and the very special fans of Little Mlton. We hope you enjoy his last concert.

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The journey began in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1917. When it finally ended in 2001, a 6 decade long boogie tornado had left a path of one of the most influential marks on the music world. The deep voice, the distorted guitar, and that foot that tapped away like an out of control metronome brought him out of Mississippi to the far reaches of this country. Included among the vintage footage are performances of Hooker jamming with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Ry Cooder, and Bonnie Raitt. Also included are archive performances throughout his storied career from many of the various television appearances he made as well as vintage interview clips with Hooker. Bonus features include a discography, a bonus interview clip with John Lee, an interview with Zakiya Hooker (his daughter), and a bonus clip of John Lee Hooker and Roy Rogers performing "Boogie Chillin'". This film is presented by the John Lee Hooker Estate.

This electrifying concert was recorded in May 2001 in the "New Morning" club in Paris, one of the most important European jazz clubs. The packed house experienced Robben Ford in peak form. It was a truly classy performance on the stage that night. Acco

This DVD gives you an insider's view into how the unique CD Relentless, featuring all new material, was recorded at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on May 14th, 2003. Hear Walter Trout tell the audience the stories behind his new songs, and then watch him turn

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Release Date: 2004-11-16, Rating: NR (Not Rated)