Connected by love
b laCkwell is understandably keeping Third man’s 2019 schedule close to his chest, but he is able to reveal details about one particularly juicy release, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ann arbor Blues Festival, which took place in august 1969. “This was the first dedicated blues festival in history – not folk and blues, but just blues,” says Blackwell. “any blues artist who was living and performing and had been ‘rediscovered’ by the public played this festival: son house, muddy waters, Freddie king, BB king, Big mama Thornton, T-Bone walker, howlin’ wolf. we have been working with one of the promoters who made recordings and are putting this collection out with these amazing recordings from the real heavyweights in blues. They did a festival again in 1970 and four players had died since the year before. we are putting this out for the anniversary in august. This is one of those things that been on the simmer for a long time as we got permissions and tracked down estates, but we’re almost there."