

A series of compilations were released in conjunction with the shows, and THE BEST OF THE BLUES collects some of the finest tracks from those more in-depth titles, serving as both a convenient sampler and an excellent introduction to the genre as a whole. When 2003 was officially proclaimed "The Year of the Blues" by the United States government, famed film director Martin Scorsese produced a PBS documentary series entitled THE BLUES.


John, Fletcher Henderson, Otis Spann (piano) Ivan Neville, Carl Banks, Richard Kermode, Tom West (organ) Paul "Harry" Harris (keyboards) Pete Thomas (drums, percussion) Chris Layton, Steve Jordan, Roger Dawkins, Earl Phillips, Fred Below, William Peebles, Jaimoe, Ricky Fataar, Tom Hambridge, Hughie Flint, Herb Lovelle, Mitch Mitchell, Maury Baker, Lonnie Castille, Butch Trucks (drums) Jeff Haynes, Victor Bisetti, Cougar Estrada (percussion). King, Bonnie Raitt (vocals, guitar) Howlin' Wolf (vocals, harmonica) Ray Charles (vocals, piano) Gregg Allman (vocals, electric piano) John Mayall (vocals, organ) Jeff Scott Young (vocals, keyboards) Etta James, Janis Joplin, Shemekia Copeland, Bessie Smith, James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Cassandra Wilson (vocals) Danny Kortchmar, Dickey Betts, Marvin Sewall, Eric Clapton, Sam Andrews, Hubert Sumlin, Hugh McCracken, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Rogers, Jody Williams, Kevin Breit, Louie P‚rez, Albert Lowe, Cesar Rosas (guitar) Duane Allman (slide guitar) Charlie Dixon (banjo) Al Wilson, Little Walter (harmonica) Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey (clarinet) Floyd Newman, Aaron Varnell, Charles Chalmers (saxophone) David "Fathead" Newman (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone) Don Wilkerson, Terry Clements, Andrew Love (tenor saxophone) Jim Horn, Steve Berlin, Cornelius "Snookey" Flowers (baritone saxophone) Gene Miller, Joe Bridgewater, Riley Webb, Luis Gasca, Ben Cauley (trumpet) Joe "Fox" Smith (cornet) Jimmy Harrison, Jack Hale (trombone) Dewey Oldham (piano, organ) Dr. Personnel: David Hidalgo, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Lee Schell, Keb' Mo', Muddy Waters, Robert Cray, Robert Johnson, Skip James, Son House, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Susan Tedeschi, B.B.
