Customer Reviews

Live at the Chicago Fest

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The DVD PCM soundtrack had some crackles in it (for a few seconds in one spot) which weren't from the original tape. Might have been just a bad copy, I don't know. I don't have the ability to listen to the DD soundtrack, and hopefully it was done better. It was not Muddy's best performance, but had some good moments, especially after Johnny Winter came on stage. Really bad camera work, but you must consider the vintage. Colors were good, and definition probably as good as can be expected considering the age. We're lucky to have it on film at all. It was good of Pioneer to include footage which is in black and white. I assume some color footage is lost, and considering that the DVD is not as long as the time on the package indicates, I'm very glad it was included. Pioneer should have done a better job on the PCM soundtrack by reducing the tape noise and improving the equalization. The PCM soundtrack is fair at best. I'm hoping a better video, more fitting for the great Muddy is issued in the future, but if you're a big fan, you'll want this one, but it should have been budget priced.

don't waste your time with this sham...check out the amazing Vestapol video "in Concert 1971" instead..the repetoire is first rate as is his group and HIS performance. hopefully it will come out on DVD..

Muddy Waters has earned his status as a blues legend. BUT, this concert was poorly performed. At times, it looked as though the band didn't even want to be there, and they periodically became out of sinc and out of tune. Muddy did not put his all into his music, which was dissappointing because the whole point of the blues is to FEEL the music. Winter's appearance spiced it up a bit. It is worth having if you are a Muddy fan, Winters fan, or blues collector. For that reason alone, I give it a three. And, as the previous reviewer stated, it's a good thing his Chicago Blues Festival performance was recored at all.

SONGS INCLUDE: Mannish Boy/ Oh Baby You Don't Have To Go/ Baby Please Don't Go/ I'm A King Bee/ Trouble No More/ They Call Me Muddy Waters/ Walking Thru the Park/ Going Down Slow/ She's Nineteen Years Old (in black and white)/ Love Her With Feeling/ Have You Ever Been Mistreated/ Mojo Working

This isn't the "Classic" Muddy Waters Blues Band of the 1950's but they are not just acolytes either. The packaging of this DVD offers no clues as to what year this show was recorded but it appears to be from 1981. It looks like John Primer and Rick Kreher on guitars, George "Mojo" Buford on harp, Lovie Lee on piano, Earnest Johnson on bass and Ray "Killer" Allison on drums in this edition of Muddy's band. Johnny Winter is featured on nearly half of the footage and one of those songs (She's 19 Years Old) is filmed in Black and White. Surprise Guests Mighty Joe Young and Larry "Big Twist" Nolan also come out to sing on the finale of "Mojo Working". If you're a blues fan, you will want to see this DVD but the annotation and packaging certainly leave a lot to be desired.

I was at this show. It was an excellent show. It was recorded during ChicagoFest on Navy Pier in Chicago. Muddy played on one of the smaller stages and he drew an immense crowd. He drew more than the band which played the Main Stage that evening. The band was Cheap Trick.

This band was far from a "pick up" band. This was the final version of the Muddy Waters Blues Band and included: Mojo Buford, John Primer, Rick Kreher, Ernest Johnson, Ray Allison and Lovie Lee. Mojo Buford is a legend. John Primer went on to be the foundation of Magic Slim's band for over a decade. Rick Kreher is a fabulous guitarist. He played with a Who's Who of Chicago Blues and was most recently a member of Studebaker John & The Hawks. Ernest Johnson was a member of the house band at Theresa's for years. Ray "Killer" Allison went on to play with Buddy Guy. Lovie Lee was a fabulous piano player.

Joining the band was Johnny Winter, Big Twist and Mighty Joe Young. This was one of several performances recorded and broadcast from the Blues Stage at Chicagofest. Hopefully, some ofthe other materialize as well.

This is not Muddy in his prime, not even his regular band. However, we have so little footage of him that anything is worth having and this is good stuff. I was just a little too young to be at this show and unfortunately by the time I was a mid-teen and sneeking up to Chicago to see the blues greats, Muddy was gone. This is a very enjoyable representation of one of his shows at the latter part of his life. It's MUDDY WATERS!!!- How can you go wrong?!

THIS DVD WAS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED WITH A DIFFERENT COVER.
Any Muddy is good Muddy, but I wouldn't start with this. A couple of notes-- 1. This is NOT a local pickup band, but Muddy's last band before his death, featuring piano man Lovie Lee.
2. Two songs cut from the original local telecast were salvaged from a B&W backup copy of the videotape. Better to have them in inferior quality than not at all.

Start with the "Classic Concerts" DVD or the American Folk Blues Vol. 3.
(You really need the entire series, but #3 has Muddy.)
By the way,has anybody issued the Montreal Jazz Festival circa 1973, (which was part of a series shown on cable TV about 10 years ago--maybe BET or Bravo), or the PBS (70's) Soundstage episode? Or the B&W film of the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival filmed by the US Government? (UPDATE:most or all of the latter is on the DVD "Classic Concerts" in somewhat decent quality=grainy but with upgraded audio.) The others are still unavaliable but may circulate as bootlegs.

I rented this DVD recently and did a little reasearch afterward. The date of it is 8/4/81, which I believe puts it among Muddy's final performances. That could explain the mediocre performance. The sound quality is not great and the video quality is poor. It's badly edited in spots, but worth watching just the same if you like Muddy.

This is of historical interest only. The video quality is extremely poor (actually goes to black and white for a song or two) and the sound quality is equally poor. Pass on this unless you have to have the historical documentation

How can this be from the Chicago Blues Festival? The Chicago Blues Festival, the official City of Chicago-sponsored one that's held in Grant Park every year, began in 1984. Muddy Waters died in 1983. Muddy's an immortal, to be sure, but . . . ?