Born In Chicago: Fascinating New Documentary On The Chicago Blues Features Interviews With B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Muddy Waters, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, Steve Miller And More

Shout! Studios and Out Of The Box Records present BORN IN CHICAGO, an incredible new music documentary on the rich history of the Chicago blues scene, which will be available on all major digital platforms on August 1, 2023. BORN IN CHICAGO, a Ravin' Film, was written by respected music historian Joel Selvin, and includes incredible archival footage alongside interviews with Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Steve Miller, Harvey Mandel, Charlie Musselwhite, Barry Goldberg, Hubert Sumlin, Corky Seigel and many others.

Narrated by Dan Aykroyd and Executive Produced by Jim Belushi and Elliot Roberts, BORN IN CHICAGO was co-directed by Bob Sarles (BANG! The Bert Berns Story, Sweet Blues: A Film About Mike Bloomfield) and John Anderson (Horn From The Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story, Brian Wilson Presents Smile). Original music for the film was composed by Jimmy Vivino and Barry Goldberg.

In the late 1950s the dynamic Chicago blues scene was at a crossroads. The music's patriarchs - Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf - were still vital and playing regularly at the many blues clubs on the city's south side. But the scene had peaked, as young African Americans were discovering the sounds of Motown, Stax and the soul of James Brown. The new generation saw the blues of their parents and grandparents as antiquated, a remnant of an era best left to the past. At the same time white adolescents in the suburbs of Chicago and other cities, were listening to black radio stations late at night and were just discovering this mysterious and forbidden music. In the early sixties young white musicians from Chicago's suburbs began to venture to Chicago's South side to see in person the music they had been hearing on the radio. Soon, these musicians, among them Mike Bloomfield, Barry Goldberg, and Harvey Mandel, befriended their musical heroes and soon became accepted among the musicians playing at Chicago's black blues clubs. BORN IN CHICAGO, a new feature documentary, tells this fascinating story through the voices of those who were there and extensive use of rarely seen archival footage.

BORN IN CHICAGO is enjoying an overwhelmingly positive reception on the film festival circuit, having been selected as “Best Of Fest” at the Palms Springs International Film Festival, winning the “Best Documentary Director” and “Best Sound Design” awards at the FirstGlance Philadephia Film Festival, and winning an Award in the category of “Best Documentary Feature” at the Hollywood Blvd Film Festival. The film has also had successful screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival, San Francisco DocFest, the Garden State Film Festival, the Portland Film Festival, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival and The Grammy Museum. BORN IN CHICAGO will screen at the upcoming New York City Independent Film Festival, The Washington, DC International Film Festival and as part of the 2023 The Chicago Blues Festival.

About the directors:

Bob Sarles is a San Francisco based filmmaker and Emmy nominated film and television editor. His films include Sweet Blues: A Film About Mike Bloomfield, Feed Your Head: The Psychedelic Era and Bang! The Bert Berns Story (co-directed with Bert Berns), Fly Jefferson Airplane, and John Lee Hooker: Come And See About Me. He was a producer and the lead editor on the A&E Documentary The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne, and co-directed (with Jay Blakesberg) and edited the concert film Phil Lesh & Friends Live At The Warfield. Bob Sarles is currently in production on a documentary about American satirist Paul Krassner. 

John Anderson is a Grammy nominated and Emmy-winning Director, Producer and Editor. John’s work has aired on PBS, A&E, MTV, VH1, Showtime, Cinemax, HBO, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, MuchMusic, the BBC and elsewhere around the world. His list of directorial clients includes Warner Brothers Records, Capitol Records, Sanctuary Visual Entertainment, Image Entertainment, Rhino Home Video, Giant Records, The Walt Disney Company and Chicago Public Schools, and his long form editorial work for The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nova, Kurtis Productions and others has won numerous accolades and awards.

John was nominated for a 2006 Grammy for his direction of Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, which marked Anderson’s fourth collaboration with the Beach Boys leader, following Imagination, Brian Wilson On Tour, and Pet Sounds Live In London. John Anderson’s directorial projects include Sam Lay In Bluesland, Horn From The Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story, and The Beach Boys: Doin' It Again. He is currently in production on a Manhattan Transfer documentary.

About the Producers:

Joel Selvin, who wrote the script for BORN IN CHICAGO, is a San Francisco based author and former music critic and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, where his byline graced its pages for four decades. His work has been read in Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, Billboard and Melody Maker. He is the author of Altamont: The Rolling Stones, The Hells Angels, And The Inside Story Of Rock's Darkest Day, Fare Thee Well: The Final Chapter in the Grateful Dead’s Long Strange Trip, as well as biographies about Sly Stone, Ricky Nelson, Bert Berns and Sammy Hagar.

Barry Goldberg, who, together with famed band leader Jimmy Vivino, composed original music for BORN IN CHICAGO, was a fixture on the 60’s Chicago blues scene dating from his teen years. He was co-founder of the Barry Goldberg - Steve Miller Blues Band and went on to form The Barry Goldberg Blues Band, recorded the seminal “Two Jews Blues” with Michael Bloomfield and founded The Electric Flag. Along the way, he’s written hit songs for Rod Stewart and Gladys Knight, backed up Bob Dylan at Newport, worked with Phil Spector and The Ramones, produced a GRAMMY-nominated album for Percy Sledge and has scored numerous films and TV shows.  

CREDITS:

Directed by Bob Sarles and John Anderson
Narrated by Dan Aykroyd
Produced & Written by Joel Selvin
Produced & Edited by Bob Sarles
Executive Producers: Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Timm Martin, Richard Foos, Elliot Roberts
Producers: Barry Goldberg, Bob Emmer
Story Editor/Co-Producer: Christina Keating
Original Music by Barry Goldberg and Jimmy Vivino
Co-Producer: Gail Goldberg
Director of Photography: Aaron Hui

Featuring interviews with:

• Barry Goldberg
• Nick Gravenites
• Harvey Mandel
• Charlie Musselwhite
• Elvin Bishop
• Sam Lay
• Corky Siegel
• Steve Miller
• Hubert Sumlin
• Paul Butterfield
• Mike Bloomfield
• Muddy Waters
• Howlin' Wolf
• B.B. King
• Buddy Guy
• Keith Richards
• Bob Dylan
• Bob Weir
• Eric Burdon

For press assets please visit the Shout! Studios press site.