AFBF 1970/ The Complete Sessions

AFBF 1970/ The Complete Sessions

            The 1970 edition of the annual American Folk Blues Festival was, for the first time since its beginning in 1962, much less attended than the previous ones. German promoters Lippmann and Rau had largely contributed to open important and mostly young audiences to the real blues. But the idea to feature on the same stage many different artists while very exciting the first years had become more and more criticized by blues fans and magazines who, by now, had become more well aware of the blues, the bluesmen, the way the blues had to be shown, played and heard. The AFBF's didn't change their formula and continued to feature blues acts who played three or four tunes before leaving room for another one during a too short two hour show. While other European tours were by now presenting lengthy shows with only one tight band able to ignite fire on the scene even when there were several vocalists.

As usual, I attended to the Paris' concert of the AFBF1970. As far as I remember – 50 years ago!- the sound system was absolutely awful, preventing the great Big Walter Horton to be really audible. The whole Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All Stars was much less exciting than when they toured Europe on their own the previous years (when Johnny Shines and Sunnyland Slim were featured). Lee Jackson, although a fine bluesman on his own, seemed very shy and lost somewhere on the Paris' too big stage. Leake was hidden behind his piano and Dixon very dissatisfied with how the things were going on even put Walter out of the stage! It's probable than the band was better in other places but in Francetheir performance was rather poor, even pedestrian and gained only small applauses.

            Champion Jack Dupree who was leaving permanently in Europe was picked up at the last moment (Otis Spann was at first planned) and featured his usual good set. But by now he was playing almost all the year here and there across France (I even had the opportunity to take care of him during a couple of days earlier in 1970) and he was certainly not a revelation to the majority of the audience.

            Bukka White and old Brownie and Sonny were once again on the tour and they each delivered some good country blues, Bukka being particularly in good form.

            Anyway, the music recorded here in Germanyand on other European dates is quite nice and shows mostly good unaltered blues played by artists knowing their stuff. The original double LP is not easily available and the CD version omits several tracks. I have added whatever titles possible recorded here and there in Western Europeto give the most possible complete photography of this tour.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

AFBF 1970/ The Complete Sessions

Recorded in Europe on various locations during october-november 1970

Chicago All Stars: Big Walter Horton, hca; Lee Jackson, g; Lafayette Leake, pno; Willie Dixon, bs; Clifton James, dms.

01. All Stars blues

02. Everybody's bluesin'

03. Chicagoboogie

Big Walter Horton, vcl/hca; Lee Jackson, g; Lafayette Leake, pno; Willie Dixon, bs; CliftonJames, dms.

04. Hard hearted woman I

05. Hard hearted woman II

06. That ain't it

07. Big Walter's boogie

Bukka White, vcl/g.

08. Maggie Lee

09. World boogie

10. Old Lady

Champion Jack Dupree, vcl/pno; Willie Dixon, bs; CliftonJames, dms.

11. Going to Louisiana

12. Blues before sunrise

Sonny Terry, vcl/hca; Brownie Mc Ghee, vcl/g.

13. Hootin' the blues

14. Backwater blues

15. Walk on

16. When I was drinking

Lee Jackson, vcl/g; Big Walter Horton, hca; Lafayette Leake, pno; Willie Dixon, bs; Clifton James, dms.

17. Juanita

18. Came home this morning

19. Why don't you let me be

Lafayette Leake, pno; Big Walter Horton, hca; Lee Jackson, g; Willie Dixon, bs; Clifton James, dms.

20. After hours

21. Leake's jump

22. Wrinkles

Clifton James, vcl/dms; Big Walter Horton, hca; Lee Jackson, g; LafayetteLeake, pno; Willie Dixon, bs.

23. All the things we used to do

24. Wee wee hours

Willie Dixon, vcl/bs; Big Walter Horton, hca; Lee Jackson, g; LafayetteLeake, pno; CliftonJames, dms.

25. Crazy for my baby

26. Sittin' and cryin' the blues

27. My babe

28. Twenty nine ways

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, vcl/g; Big Walter Horton, hca; Lee Jackson, g; Lafayette Leake, pno; Willie Dixon, bs; Clifton James, dms.

30. When the Saints

31. Down by the riverside

32. Didn't rain

33. Games people play

34. Nobody knows

35. That's all

36. Up above my head