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ARENA: BLUES NIGHT (1985)
ARENA: BLUES NIGHT (1985)

ARENA: BLUES NIGHT (1985)

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Arena presents an evening of the blues, introduced by B.B. King and John Walters.

1. Sonny Boy Williamson Sings

First transmitted in 1985, Blues Night presents rare footage of the harmonica blues player Sonny Boy Williamson, who gave B.B. King his big break in 1948. ‘He was on the radio doing live performances when I first came to Memphis. He put me on his show to do this one song – a lady saloon-keeper hired me that day and I’ve worked ever since,’ King explained to the Radio Times. (21 mins.)

2. B.B. King Speaks

First transmitted in 1985, John Walters talks to B.B. King - aided by his guitar Lucille - about his extraordinary life, from a childhood picking cotton in Mississippi to worldwide stardom. (38 mins.)

3. Chicago Blues

First transmitted in 1985, Harley Cokliss’ classic blues documentary includes performances by Muddy Waters, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, and shows how the tough urban music of Chicago developed out of the original rural blues. (52 mins.)

4. Blind John Davis

First transmitted in 1985, the great Chicago broadcaster and journalist Studs Terkel and pianist Blind John Davis meet in a downtown bar to discuss and play the blues. This interview was shot for "Omnibus: Studs Terkel's Chicago" but not shown in the final program. (20 mins.)

5. Blues Medley

First transmitted in 1985, this medley of the blues features Fred McDowell, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Lead Belly and Billie Holiday.

Huddie Ledbetter - better known as 'Lead Belly' - performs 'Pick a Bale of Cotton', and Billie Holiday accompanied by Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Roy Eldridge, performs her own composition 'Fine and Mellow'. (26 mins.)

6. Big Bill Blues

First transmitted in 1985, hard blues meets film noir as Big Bill Broonzy sings and plays in a Belgian nightclub back in the 1950s. (23 mins.)