Two quirky, cynical teenaged girls try to figure out what to do with their lives after high school graduation. After they play a prank on an eccentric, middle aged record collector, one of them befriends him, which causes a rift in the girls' friendship.
Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.
The film chronicles Nina Simone's journey from child piano prodigy to iconic musician and passionate activist, told in her own words.
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday. Her late childhood, stint as a prostitute, early tours, marriages and drug addiction are featured.
An unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton told through his own words and songs.
In a tiny Alabama town with the curious name of Muscle Shoals, something miraculous sprang from the mud of the Tennessee River. A group of unassuming, yet incredibly talented, locals came together and spawned some of the greatest music of all time: “Mustang Sally,” “I Never Loved a Man,” “Wild Horses,” and many more. During the most incendiary periods of racial hostility, white folks and black folks came together to create music that would last for generations and gave birth to the incomparable “Muscle Shoals sound.”
Brian Hartley has finally found the girl of his dreams in Linda. Unfortunately, he can't convince her or himself that it's really true. When she catches him with another woman, she finally decides she's had enough and vows to never see him again. Frenzied from the loss, Brian breaks into her house to try to talk her into seeing him again, but Linda and her roommates Kim and Sharon instead bind him to the bed.
This film was shot for Swedish TV and tells the story of Alligator Records. It features interviews of Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Kenny Neal, Billy Branch and Lucky Peterson as well live perfomance clips and a behind-the-scenes look of life at Alligator.
"Bad Woman Blues - Beth Hart" celebrates the music and voice of a woman who enriches rock and blues with emotion, authenticity, and honesty.
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
BJ is a relatively unknown blues singer who scraps some bars in Yokohama. He does not earn much with it and to make ends meet he also acts as a private detective.
Soul singer Dana Masters traces the story of Ottilie Patterson, who for a dazzling few years in the late 1950s and early 1960s was a pioneer of British jazz and blues music and inspiration to later groups such as The Rolling Stones and The Pretty Things.
They called him the The Ice Man and The Master of the Telecaster, but above all else, Albert Collins was a consummate Texas bluesman. Ice Man or not, Albert was on fire the night of his taping on October 28, 1991. His performance was a wild ride, and the ACL stage proved too small for his antics, so with his long guitar chord in tow he took off into the audience during his ten-minute-plus finale of Frosty. He was first and foremost an entertainer, but nonetheless belongs up front in the pantheon of great blues guitarists.
A film about the first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise relief funds for the poor of Bangladesh. The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide.
Blurring the line between documentary and fiction, THE BLUES UNDER THE SKIN dramatizes the tumultuous relationship of a young couple (Onike Lee and Roland Sanchez) as they struggle to overcome the barriers of poverty and prejudice that keep them from finding happiness together.
This acclaimed documentary depicts the sad life of the greatest of all jazz singers, Billie Holiday, a life engraved with personal tragedy and ultimately shortened by drug abuse and alcoholism. Her story and career are portrayed through rare archival film and television appearances, memorable renditions of her greatest songs, and interviews with friends and colleagues.
The life of Blues and folk singer Huddie Leadbetter, nicknamed Leadbelly is recounted. Covering the good times and bad from his 20s to 40s. Much of that time was spent on chain gangs in the south. Even in prison he became well known for the songs he had composed and sung during and before the time he spent there.
Blues legend Eddie Taylor struggles against financial hardship and music industry exploitation to make a name for himself and provide a better life for his family.
Two rival record collectors attempt to con an old lady out of a rare but cursed 1930s blues record. When a series of unfortunate circumstances lands them in jail, the feud festers for over 20 years until they are released from prison and get a second chance at snagging the vinyl - this time from a more formidable foe.
Long Island (aka the Big Fish) was home to a blues scene that was one of the most incredible and fantastic musical experiences. From the early 1960's through the 1990's, people went to music clubs to hear the blues. Long Island was a home base to many of the top blues musicians who had fans from all over the world. Back in the day, fans would follow them weekly from club to club while their popularity grew worldwide. The Big Fish Blues documentary reveals a genre and a host of incredible performances by these Long Island blues greats. You will also learn about their journeys to success from their personal stories. So sit back, relax, let your hair down, and simply have some fun as you experience the "Blues way of life."
KET’s Jubilee series features the performances of nationally known artists and popular local musicians at summer folk music festivals in Kentucky. Since its premiere in 1996, Jubilee has presented an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, blues, folk, gospel, and other forms of music from around the world to your backyard.
From 1978 to 1985 Alan Lomax traveled the American South and Southwest with a television crew to document regional folklore with deep historical roots. From the resulting 400 hours of footage came the five-program series American Patchwork, which aired on PBS in 1991.
