Search - Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party, Vol. 1 & 2 on DVD


Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party, Vol. 1 & 2
Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party Vol 1 2
Genres: Music Video & Concerts
NR     2006

MARK NAFTALINS BLUE MONDAY PARTY is blues at its best by some of its true immortals, and gives every happy viewer of this DVD a chance to remember them as they deserve to be remembered - and to appreciate them anew. Volum...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Genres: Music Video & Concerts
Sub-Genres: Pop, Blues
Studio: Winner Records
Format: DVD - Color
DVD Release Date: 07/25/2006
Original Release Date: 01/01/2006
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2006
Release Year: 2006
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English

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Movie Reviews

A Rare Look At Some Blues Legends
Perry Celestino | Tahmoor, NSW Australia | 10/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD is a little gem. It was released this year and features a rare look at some of the best known Blues Legends, one's which have very little footage released on them. This is from a regional TV series which screened locally in California the early 1980s (when Blues had a difficult time). The show is called "Blue Monday Party" and is named after the famous Blue Monday gigs in Chicago in the 1950s and 60s (Magic Sam once said he played from Saturday noon until Monday night every weekend---what experience!!)This show was taped during 1981 when this popular dance show in the Bay Area went to TV. It had been running as a club venue in Fairfax California from 1979 until 1983. The first half hour of three of these "Blue Mondays" went to air from 1980 to 1981. This DVD features the 1981 shows.

These shows feature a very interesting lineup. The house band is led by keyboardist Mark Naftalin who started out with Paul Butterfield and went on to play with many others including Otis Rush. The house guitarist is Bobby Murray who played with Etta James and was quite well known around the Bay Area back to the time of Robben Ford's beginnings. He is also featured on the "Live Part 1" DVD of Otis Rush.

Volume One has Lowell Fulson starting out with a good example of why he is one of the originators of Urban Blues. Lowell of course is best known for his tune "Reconsider Baby" the big smash of the early 50s and "Three O'Clock Blues" covered by B.B. King as his first hit. Lowell also wrote the classic "Everyday I Have The Blues". The guest sax player here Dr Wild Willie Moore, an early Chicago player in the Big Jay McNeilly tradition, does a great job too!

Percy Mayfield, like Lowell Fulson, was an early associate of Ray Charles, he wrote "Hit The Road Jack". Poor Percy did hit the road and you can see the remnants of the auto accident that scarred him in his DVD. He died about three years after this performance. He does perform his best known tune (even covered by Sade) "Please Send Me Somebody To Love". The set is great for a half-hour TV show.

Volume Two of this DVD features Charlie Musselwhite, the great white harp player (from Chicago via Mississippi and Memphis). He opens with Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me" but changes the lyrics quite a bit. Early performances of Musselwhite are rare. He does play on the "Tribute to Muddy Waters" DVD. The band for this show features Luther Tucker the guitarist who played with Little Walter at Chess and until this DVD has only been seen in the recent "Antone's Home Of The Blues" DVD. Material on Luther is VERY rare. He dropped out of the whole scene for over 10 years living on the West Coast. The guest drummer, Francis Clay, a drummer in the Fred Below tradition, does a fabluous job as well.

The second part of the set features John Lee Hooker. He does something a bit different for him. He does a great version of Big Maceo Merriweather's "Worried Life Blues". John Lee still plays his one E chord throughout but the band makes all the changes for him. A great persentation and very different from most of JLH's released material (it's even in Multi-Angle if you want it).

This DVD is a collector's item John Lee Hooker, Percy Mayfield, Luther Tucker and Lowell Fulson have all passed on and this DVD gives them some special recognition for their contribution to Blues Music. It is even in 5.1 sound."
JOHN LEE & CHARLIE AT THERE BEST
Ronnie Cowlishaw Sr. | AUBURN WASHINGTON | 12/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked this one up a while ago, I still watch this quite a bit. Mr. Hooker is at his best here, there are a lot of close up shots of him singing & playing his guitar. This is a very well done dvd, it has great 5.1 surround and a nice clean picture. And of course Charlie Musselwhite does a great job, also some excellent footage of Luther Tucker which is rare. These three along with Lowell Fulson (also rare footage) make the whole show, this is some of the best footage I have seen of John Lee & Charlie. With Luther backing them how could they go wrong, if you love good raw blues this will not disappoint. The Percy Mayfield part I thought was my least favorite on this, but still not bad."