AMERICAN FOLK BLUES FESTIVAL.

Description

City Hall, Newcastle October 1965 concert handbill

Exceedingly scarce original first printing concert handbill advertising the American Folk Blues Festival at the City Hall in Newcastle [England] on Saturday, 16th October, 1965, presented by the National Jazz Federation in association with Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau. Billed as “A Documentary of the Authentic Blues”, performing artists included Big Mama Thornton, Lonesome Jimmy Lee, Eddie Boyd, Buddy Guy, Doctor Ross, Freddie Below, J. B. Lenoir, Big Shakey Horton, Roosevelt Sykes, and Mississippi Fred McDowell. It was legendary German promoters Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau who were responsible for the festival since its start back in 1962 where they stuck upon the idea of bringing a cross section of American blues musicians to Europe for a package tour. Dubbed “The American Folk Blues Festival,” the shows were a major success and played a vital role in exposing American roots music to a new and appreciative audience abroad, especially in the United Kingdom, where the concerts proved to be a significant eye-opener for the founding members of the British blues-rock boom. Lippman and Rau turned the tour into an annual event and, fortunately, arranged for their artists to appear on a series of television specials recorded for German television.

The flyer measures 12.7 x 20.1 cm and is printed on thin, matte-coated yellow paper stock. There is a rip to the upper left side border and some creasing to the lower left side. Feel free to email us with any questions you may have concerning this item. Additional images of the flyer available on request.