Sonny Terry

Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin'

Jim Brown

Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger

A warmhearted memorial to the folk singer whose songs galvanized organizers and guitar-pickers across the United States. Part biography, part travelogue and part hootenanny, it follows the singer's son, Arlo Guthrie, as he retraces his father's steps and collects reminiscences from his father's family, friends and musical partners.

The Color Purple

Steven Spielberg

Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing 'Mister' Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.

Festival

Murray Lerner

Horton Barker, Fiddler Beers

Black and white footage of performances, interviews, and conversations at the Newport Folk Festival, from 1963 to 1966. The headliners are Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan, who's acoustic and electric. Son House and Mike Bloomfield talk about the blues; John Hurt, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee show its range. The Osborne Brothers perform bluegrass. Donovan, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Mimi and Dick Farina, and others less well known also perform. Several talk musical philosophy, and there's a running commentary about the nature and appeal of folk music. The crowd looks clean cut.

To Hear Your Banjo Play

Irving Lerner

Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie

A short film about Pete Seeger and the birth of banjo music throughout the Southern United States.

Red, White and Blues

Mike Figgis

Jeff Beck, Chris Barber

Director Mike Figgis (Stormy Monday, Leaving Las Vegas, Time Code) joins musicians such as Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Tom Jones, performing and talking about the music of the early sixties British invasion that reintroduced the blues sound to America.

The Jerk

Carl Reiner

Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters

After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson runs off on a hilarious misadventure in this comedy classic that takes him from rags to riches and back to rags again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.

American Folk-Blues Festival: The Blues and Gospel Train

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters

A 16 minute short comprising 2 acts of a 1964 event where an innovative group of musicians performed on a real railroad track. The audience on one side of the tracks and the musicians on the station side.

The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969, Vol. 3

Big Mama Thornton, Roosevelt Sykes

Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular blues artists, including: Big Mama Thornton, Roosevelt Sykes, Buddy Guy, Dr. Isaiah Ross, Big Joe Turner, Skip James, Bukka White, Son House, Hound Dog Taylor and Little Walter, Koko Taylor and Little Walter, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Helen Humes, Earl Hooker, and Muddy Waters.

The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 1

T-Bone Walker, Memphis Slim

Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular blues artists, including: T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, etc.

Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry - Red River Blues

Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee

The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 2

Sonny Boy Williamson, Sunnyland Slim

Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular blues artists, including: T-Bone Walker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Victory Spivey, T-Bone Walker ...