Free and Equal Blues

Josh White was a key figure in the evolution of the Folk and Blues Music revivals, a brilliant guitarist and dashingly sexy cabaret star who for three decades was the world's most popular acoustic Blues performer. After a childhood leading blind street singers through the South, Josh was a popular recording artist in the 1930s golden age of Acoustic Blues; then in the 1940s he became the first Bluesman to capture a large mainstream audience. Though his smooth, polished style is quite unlike the harder-edged approach that many people now consider basic to Blues, his unique, lyrical guitar work and soulful singing made him a formative influence on the international Folk scene. This video begins with a rare filmed snippet from the 1940s, then includes a range of European performances from the 1960s, showing the breadth and variety of Josh's repertoire, from Traditional Blues and Gospel to Folk Revival standards and Cabaret material. It captures the intimate, sophisticated style, swing and power that made Josh the most influential guitarist on the Early Folk Scene and one of America's defining entertainers.