Watch Clips of New Maxwell Street Documentary!

Here's a link to YouTube to watch clips from Electrified: The Story of Maxwell Street Urban Blues. YouTube videos include the following:

• Johnnie Mae Dunson performing on Maxwell Street
• Bo Diddley talking about inventing the tremolo, the blues and Elvis
• Studs Terkel discussing the market vendors and gentrification
• Uncle Johnny Williams (who recorded on the Maxwell Street record label, Ora Nelle, talking about the blues
• Nate Duncan talking about Jewish food

The documentary will also feature interviews with many musicians who learned the blues, and taught others, on Maxwell Street, including Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Charlie Musselwhite and Jimmie Lee Robinson.

From the film's producers:

Electrified tells the definitive history of the Chicago blues. Narrated by actor Joe Mantegna, the film chronicles how the urban neighborhood of Maxwell Street created a unique environment of commerce and cooperation that led first to the hard-driving sound of the urban blues, and ultimately to rock and roll.

Electrified which will premier at a special screening on Friday, Jan. 25 during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The event will include live performances by the legendary Hubert Sumlin and young blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Actor Chevy Chase will emcee.

Also, during the intermission, the film's executive producer Les Walgreen will present a limited -edition "Electrified" guitar donated by Fender to Charity Buzz, an online auction house. The auction will benefit The Center for Environmental Education Online.

Electrified is a companion film to Cheat You Fair: The Story of Maxwell Street, a documentary about the last days of the historic Maxwell Street market. It premiered at the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival in April 2007. It was also seen this week during Sundance and will be shown Feb. 2 at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago.

Both films were written, directed and produced by Phil Ranstrom of Chicago. He began the films in 1994 shortly before the Maxwell Street Market ended.