“Things would have been a whole lot different in Britain without the American Folk Blues Festivals; they proved to be a rich legacy for musicians throughout Europe.”
-- Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones)

“What a treat! This is an amazing collection from a legendary time. I never thought I’d be able to see these artists together ever again!”
-- Ray Manzarek (Doors)

A major discovery has been unveiled during this Year Of The Blues--nearly three hours of previously unseen performances filmed in the early ‘60s during the famed American Folk Blues Festival tours of Europe. Reelin’ In The Years Productions, in partnership with Experience Hendrix and Hip-O Records, is proud to announce the August 26th release of The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Volumes One and Two on DVD and a compilation of 16 audio highlights on CD compiled from the two volumes. The A.F.B.F. was an annual event that featured the cream of American blues musicians barnstorming their way across western Europe every fall from 1962 through 1966.

The two DVDs feature 36 previously unseen live in-studio performances by such blues legends as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker and Willie Dixon playing alongside other blues greats such as T-Bone Walker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Memphis Slim, Big Mama Thornton and many others.

Recorded live in a small TV studio in Germany, these historic and unseen performances have been lost for nearly 40 years. Filmed with superb camera work and pristine sound (remastered by famed producer/engineer Eddie Kramer - The Beatles/The Rolling Stones/Jimi Hendrix), each DVD contains 18 complete performances from the greatest blues musicians of all time. Captured during their heyday in an era of scant video documentation, these DVDs are truly one of the most unique and precious visual documents of the blues.

A handful of festivals have had a profound impact on the history of popular music - Woodstock, the Monterey Pop Festival and the Newport Folk Festival are obvious examples. While not as well-known, the American Folk Blues Festival belongs side-by-side with such august company. Young then-unknown musicians such as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page were all in attendance, learning at the feet of their idols. In addition, the tours directly helped launch the career of 18-year-old Eric Clapton’s group, The Yardbirds. The American Folk Blues Festivals featured a dazzling array of talent - the most significant group of blues artists ever assembled - and miraculously it was captured on tape. The package also features extensive liner notes by Grammy Award winning author Rob Bowman, written commentary by Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones and never before seen photographs from the television tapings, these releases capture the sights, sounds and feel of these definitive concerts.

Released to coincide with the seven-part series on the blues that is being produced by Martin Scorsese, these previously unissued live performances on these releases will prove an ideal companion to the Scorsese documentary The Blues: A Musical Journey.

Highlights include:

• Harmonica legend Sonny Boy Williamson sitting in with Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon on the classic "Got My Mojo Working" from the 1963 festival.
  
• Three extraordinary performances by the legendary Howlin’ Wolf backed by Willie Dixon on bass from 1964.
  
• John Lee Hooker’s haunting version of “Hobo Blues” from 1965.
  
• Texas blues legend Lightnin’ Hopkins’ searing version of “Mojo Hand” from 1964.
  
• Blues innovator T-Bone Walker’s earliest known performance on film from the 1962 festival.
  
• Grand finale harmonica jam from 1965 featuring John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton and three other blues greats trading solos on “Down Home Shakedown.”
• Forward by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones.
• Extensive liner notes by Grammy Award-winning author Rob Bowman.
• Never-before-seen photographs from the television tapings.