Blues Unlimited #104 - The Blues Revival of the 1960s

The Blues 'rediscovery' period that started in the late 1950s and continued on into the 1960s were heady times. Many Blues legends -- most of whom up to then had been little more than a name on a record label and pretty much thought to be lost forever to the sands of time -- were not only found to still be living, but in some cases still performing. They made their way to the festivals, the coffee houses, the college concerts, and thankfully, into the recording studios as well. And while some of the performers, such as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee really hadn't 'gone anywhere,' many more were brought out of retirement -- and undeserved obscurity. Thanks to the passion of scholars and field researchers like Sam Charters, Harry Oster, and Alan Lomax, of thoughtful talent managers like Dick Waterman, and of record label owners like Bob Koester of Delmark Records and Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie who thankfully provided a vehicle for the performers to record anew, it was all captured (okay, well, maybe a LOT of it, anyway) on audio tape. In this episode of Blues Unlimited, we take a look at some of the highlights of the Blues Revival period of the 1960s -- a time of rebirth and rediscovery -- along with some amazingly magical performances as well.

The Blues 'rediscovery' period that started in the late 1950s and continued on into the 1960s were heady times. Many Blues legends -- most of whom up to then had been little more than a name on a record label and pretty much thought to be lost forever to the sands of time -- were not only found to still be living, but in some cases still performing. They made their way to the festivals, the coffee houses, the college concerts, and thankfully, into the recording studios as well. And while some of the performers, such as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee really hadn't 'gone anywhere,' many more were brought out of retirement -- and undeserved obscurity. Thanks to the passion of scholars and field researchers like Sam Charters, Harry Oster, and Alan Lomax, of thoughtful talent managers like Dick Waterman, and of record label owners like Bob Koester of Delmark Records and Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie who thankfully provided a vehicle for the performers to record anew, it was all captured (okay, well, maybe a LOT of it, anyway) on audio tape. In this episode of Blues Unlimited, we take a look at some of the highlights of the Blues Revival period of the 1960s -- a time of rebirth and rediscovery -- along with some amazingly magical performances as well.