The material collected here includes real classics like "Stormy Monday," "Everyday I Have the Blues," and "Ain't Nobody's Business," plus other originals you probably haven't heard before. Brock Peters of To Kill A Mockingbird (if you're a Baby Boomer) and Deep Space Nine (if you're younger...) does a nice job as host, adding a relaxed but elegant tone to the proceedings. The best moments of America's Music Legacy: Blues are the team-ups, when B.B. King and Linda Hopkins team up for "Everyday," or when Buddy Guy and Junior Wells take on "Who's Lovin' You Tonight." There's even an All-Star Band featuring Gerald Wiggins, Teddy Edwards, Andy Simpkins, Paul Humphreys, and Harry "Sweets" Edison, performing "Jamming the Blues." The blend of horn players, big bands, and vocalists makes this an interesting collection, one that any blues fan will appreciate.
This isn't intended to be more than a trip down memory lane, but you'll get film clips of roots artists like Count Basie and others to round out these modern performers. It's a great showcase with awesome musicianship, capturing some of the greatest living artists at that time doing their thing on stage. There's something timeless about the blues that transcends even the cheesy '80s, and America's Music Legacy: Blues is one of the better entries in the entire series.
