Congress has designated 2003 the "Year of the Blues". The celebration began at New York City's Radio City Music Hall with a star-studded Blues super-show. The show was produced and filmed by famed director Martin Scorsese for use in a mini-series about Blues music to be aired on PBS later this year.
Performers included; B.B. King, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Keb’ Mo’, Dr. John, David Johansen, Vernon Reid, Shemekia Copeland, Mavis Staples, Gregg Allman, Chuck D, India.Arie, Billy Boy Arnold, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Ruth Brown, Solomon Burke, Natalie Cole, Honeyboy Edwards, John Fogerty, Warren Haynes, Levon Helm, Larry Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Chris Thomas King, Alison Krauss, Lazy Lester, The Neville Brothers, Odetta, Angie Stone, Hubert Sumlin, James Blood Ulmer, Jimmie Vaughan, Kim Wilson, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Macy Gray, Mos Def, and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Martin Scorsese endeared himself to Blues fans with The Band's Last Waltz, documenting their farewell musical extravaganza that featured, among other musical icons, Muddy Waters. The film is the ultimate concert documentary of American music. Blues fans are now salivating at the thought of Scorsese's mini-series that will include highlights from the Radio City show.
