Still Singing the Blues Airing Sept. 4

Still Singing the Blues features musicians in New Orleans and South Louisiana who continue to perform both traditional blues and rhythm-and-blues—often despite poverty, ill health, and the impacts of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The hour-long documentary burrows into the lives of three outstanding older performers: Carol Fran of Lafayette, Harvey Knox of Baton Rouge, and Little Freddie King of New Orleans. Listeners will travel with these musicians to recording sessions, street corners, birthday celebrations, and neighborhood taverns.

Also interviewed are blues pianist and singer Marcia Ball; blues-and-funk guitarist Ernie Vincent; and Bethany Bultman, president of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.

Accompanying this documentary is a web site, http://stillsingingtheblues.org, which features additional audio clips, photographs, a blog, and links for readers who want to obtain CDs, find music venues, and learn more about non-profit organizations that promote Louisiana’s music and support its musicians. The producers will add audio and photos to the site throughout the coming year.

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
Tou’ Les Jours C’est Pas La Meme (Every Day Is Not The Same) Carol Fran Louisiana Swamp Stomp Honeybee Entertainment (unreleased) 2010 00:00
Emmitt Lee Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon Gulf Coast Blues, Volume One. Black Top / Rounder Records 1990 03:14
Stormy Monday Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon Carol Fran: Women in (E)motion Tradition & Moderne 1993 05:57
Daddy Daddy Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon Carol Fran: Women in (E)motion Tradition & Moderne 1993 02:35
Peeping and HIding Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon Carol Fran: Women in (E)motion Tradition & Moderne 1993 05:44
Track 3 Harvey Knox and the Soul Spectrum Band Natchez – Black Dots – LIVE Harvey Knox (unreleased) 1987 05:27
Track 4 Harvey Knox and the Soul Spectrum Band Natchez – Black Dots – LIVE Harvey Knox (unreleased) 1987 05:21
Crack Head Joe Little Freddie King You Don’t Know What I Know Fat Possum Records 2005 04:05
Goin Out da Mountain (Live) Little Freddie King Gotta Walk with Da King MadeWright Records 2010 08:02
Bus Station Blues (Live) Little Freddie King Gotta Walk with Da King MadeWright Records 2010 07:23
Pauger Street Boogie Little Freddie King Field Recording Yeoman and Ziglar (unreleased) 2010 01:00

This documentary was sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative with generous funding from a grant provided by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Narration was recorded by Dave Tilley of Bogue Sound Studios, Durham NC.