Junior Wells and Buddy Guy had decades of a sometimes tempestuous relationship behind them when they met to record this concert at the Nightstage in Cambridge, Massachusetts in June 1986. Junior was rightly considered one of the all-time masters of blues harp, having worked with such stalwarts as Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy was initially one of the most in-demand session guitarists at Chess Records who had fallen on such hard times that by the late 60s he was working at a Ford plant. Obviously, the two men knew about the blues.

The source elements for this DVD are where the problems arise--the video is poorly shot, frequently out of focus and at times disruptingly edited. But that would be excusable if the music had been properly recorded. Unfortunately it sounds like the soundtrack came straight from a soundboard feed, and there is a distressing low level hum that recurs frequently throughout the DVD. While it blends virtually unnoticed into the background when the band is kickin', during quieter moments it's all too noticeable and is a major distraction.

The DVD does provide several stand-out moments in spite of these flaws, including a great tribute to Muddy Waters and a nice cover of James Brown's "I Feel Good."

The DVD

Video:
No fault of the mastering, the original filming of this concert was obviously done in the gritty, grainy style that so many concert videos had in the mid to late 80s. The 1:33.1 image accurately reproduces that look to a tee, including the straying cameras and unfocused moments.

Sound:
As mentioned above, the LPCM stereo track is simply hampered by what must have been a problem in the soundboard. There are also occasional moments of low-end feedback, which the soundman at the time tries to remedy by a quick downward flick of a slider or two. If you can overlook these problems, there's a lot of good music adequately reproduced.

Extras:
The most worthwhile extra is an approximately 20 minute backstage interview with Wells and Guy from 1989, as well as three extra performances not included in the basic concert. Though not an extra per se, the DVD comes with a very informative booklet that outlines the history of these two exceptional players.

Final Thoughts:
I can't give an outright recommendation for this DVD, as much as I'd love to. I suggest that any blues fan rent it to see if the problems bother them--if not, purchase it for your collection as a rare document of two legends in great form. If they do, you've still enjoyed some good music and only cost yourself a buck or two.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet