You See Me Laughin': The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen (Full Documentary) 

YES ⚡⚡

As a 21 year old kid from New Zealand I had the pleasure and experience of going to Juniors Juke joint in the late 90s. I was living in Memphis at the time and a local friend took me on a drive one Sunday night across to the Mississippi. I had no clue where we were going but he and his friend told me that it would be special. We stopped in a gravel carpark , purchased some moonshine from the back of a truck and entered into a life changing experience. People welcomed me in, spoke to me even though I struggled to understand their accents. The music was so powerful that women were wailing and instruments were breaking. I was thrust into the blues belly of the delta and it changed my musical radar forever. I am forever grateful for that experience .

Here because of my Grandfather Jr. Kimbrough and Mr. RL ayeeee!!

Like the saying "I complained about not having any shoes until I met a man who didn"t have any feet..."

Born in Mississippi in 1949 and been around live blues music all my life. I was drinking in black juke joints when I was 13 years old. Blessed to grow up like that. The racism and hate is on TV not here.

I had the incredible pleasure of doing two tours all over Europe with RL, his son-in-law the late Calvin Jackson on drums and myself on harp as the R.L.Burnside Trio. I sure miss playing with them. Thanks for posting this!

I've lived, worked, went to prison, and got married, all in Mississippi, my entire life. I used to not appreciate it. We all know whats wrong with the south. but our environment and circumstances are huge in making us who we are. And I would hate to be any body else than who I am now.

I love the sweetness, I hear in the men. 🍯🪅

I'm a white woman and I LOVE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ the BLUES and went and seen BUDDY GUY in Syracuse N.Y. for the Blues Festival

Could you imagine going to a house party with RL Burnside and Fred McDowell playing till 3:00 in the morning? That's heaven on Earth.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THIS VIDEO!! I watch this all the time!!🙏✌

I happened across this movie when I was working in New Mexico in 2009. The video room in the staff activity center had a bunch of VHS tapes, and one day I walked in to find this movie just playing to an empty room. I sat down and watched it from that point to the end. I was so inspired, I went to the office where my guitar was, and played what I still think is the best guitar I've ever played. I'm a much better player now, but my hands were doing things in those few minutes I still can't figure out. Like they were moving of their own accord. A few years ago, my aunt (by chance) got me this on DVD without knowing about that experience, and I quickly realized that it was that same movie. So this one has a lot of meaning to me.

Junior Kimbrough, "he did not want to play covers and would not play covers" Thats quite an accomplishment for back then. Covers were basically mandatory, to grow the fan base. Junior Kimbrough is legendary

Man...I LOVE the Blues. Need to make the pilgrimage to Mississippi before I die.

Probably one of the most important documentaries of the time. Salute to fat possum and the last source of that Mississippi delta blues

11:20 This man sounds better than most of the noise you hear on the radio these days, and he's doing it with an out of tune guitar, a thumb, and a butter knife. Mind Blown!

The Blues is the roots and the rest is the fruits 🍎🎶💙‼️💯

I get goosebumps every time I listen to R.L. Burnside. Such an incredible talent, wish I could've been around in hid time and day just to witness his greatness.

I remember the days kickin' up dust on the Marshall County backroads. My parents owned a juke joint & honky-tonk in Waterford, MS just outside of Holly Springs. As a young man, I had the pleasure of growing up in the blues rich culture the area provided. I credit every musical aspect from there for my own musicianship. I'll always call Holly Springs my home. Thanks for turning around in my parent's parking lot (10:07) and giving me nostalgic reminders from which I came. What a jewel of a find this video is for me.

Goddamn. I’ve low key searched and waited for a proper true entrance into Blues because I love LOVE it. I’ve FINALLY found it ❤

For me it is Junior Kimbrough....love his stuff. We are going to miss these guys. I am old enough that this was music that was playing in the juke joints on the outskirts of towns across the south when I was a kid....it is all about gone now. Many have gone that nobody remembers them now.

Regarding Cedell Davis: "It sounds out of tune to begin with because you're not used to hearing that tuning. But when you listen to it for 5 or 10 minutes, all of a sudden it sounds like it's in tune". I used to try to figure out that Cedell Davis effect, finally concluded maybe it's because the world isn't exactly in tune, so maybe "out of tune" can be "in tune".

I have seen Cedell Davis performing with his guitar and knife in the 1990's.. so incredibly soulful and warm.. great respect to him! RIP Cedell...

Eternal Music!

One thing I think people miss is how much of blues is in the strumming hand. Peoples learning all into pentatonic scales in stuff, these folks can use 1-2 strings make it come alive.

The best best music in the world! Iggy is right on place in this documentary about real authentic music.

Of all the African American music the blues is one of the graters!!! in the history of the USA!!! 🤘🤘🤘🙏🙏🙏

Introduced me to Hill Country Blues the most original shit I've ever heard. Immediately my favorite. I'm pretty sure every person around me has, at one time or another, been exposed to RL Burnside or Jr Kimbrough( ...you better run...) rip both of them. Thanks

If what Cedell and T Model Ford went through doesn't make you stop feeling sorry for yourself, I don't know what will. "Tough as onions"!

The most felt music on earth

This brought back memories. I was lucky enough to see Kimbrough at his juke joint in the early 90s! That was an experience that indelibly changed my approach and appreciated. And Cedell Davis was something else! Man, raw and real - both things lacking in a lot of today's stuff. The last of their kind indeed.

Reminds me of the days my grand dad would play the guitar and harmonica on the corner outside the liquor store .. man I luved the blues since a child .. my grand dad took you to the south rite here in Detroit with his music .. rip Dave 🙏

This is the real raw deal ..blues as its pure and best it can be..

This could go on for hours

I fuckin love R.L. Music, sense of humour. One of the pioneers.

Every so often, the RU-vid Gods gives. Thanks Fat Possum

I remember seeing this documentary years ago on PBS. I was blown away. It was my introduction to old school blues! Have loved this style of music ever since. Thank you Fat Possum Records for introducing these men to the world and recording their music so that we can have it forever. Now they will live on in history as it should be.

Thank you for giving our treasures of music that built me a soul

Watching this all the way from Malaysia 🇲🇾. Thank you for such good youngman memories. Be listening to this again insyaAllah a couple of years down the road. Blues bug bit me in 1979. Had the fever ever since. Alhamdulillah. Thank you 🙏✌️

Loved this documentary. Real men, real music.

Haven't seen this in years. Was fortunate to get to meet RL and Junior.

The blues, IS the blues. Respect the Bluesmen. Young people must learn what the blues means and Respect It. RIP for ALL Bluesmen that are no more, and a "keep playing" for the bluesmen Alive, till you die.

These guys are national treasures!

When that guy from Possum records said at the start of the video...so I saw some old guys,55 ,60 years old...I thought what? I’m a 68 year old drummer still playing. Thanks for this great video.

“You can’t tell some people. They look at it with their own eyes…”. -- The man, minimally educated, was channeling Shakespeare- “Wisdom cries out in the streets and no man regards it….”….🙏🎶🎭

R.l. is my main man. I love jamming at work to that man's music. This is a beautiful documentary yall. Thank you for this

I'm glad I happened upon this. What a treasure. Real music. Remind me of my youth and my father's interest in blues. You can't get no better than this. Wish the old man was here to see this... it'll slay him in a different way.

Watching from Ireland, love this to bits, real people real music straight from the soul, well done on taking the time and effort recording these guys for posterity. This should never be lost.

Hypnotic sound rollin rollin rollin...blues till the end of the times 4ever

A real music has the power to move people in it. It's the Blues.

please, please, PLEASE keep this video up! this is a crucial part of history

my two favorite genre's of music are blues and punk... and it just occurred to me that both are very similar in that one expresses sadness and one expresses anger... and both can be done with minimal amounts of singing or playing ability and still be excellent, relevant... and i fantasize, cathartic... because i want to do both... i want to play blues and punk... i imagine there's quite a release...

Thank you for all you do for these brothers. We need to keep this music alive and get Them paid while they can enjoy it. And that's as well. God bless you

When you enter Mississippi you know that you have left America behind!

This is one of the best fucking docs i've ever seen. As lover of music since I was a kid, and someone that had a guitar and gave up playing just cause one terrible teacher, I see now none that matters. If you got this in your heart and soul, none of it matters. Doesn't matter who you play for. But I see how rough of lives these guys lived but they are legends. Any music today that uses any kind of guitar, can be traced back to the blues. This is the roots of all that. This doc though just makes me wanna pick up a guitar again and start playing. I used to draw and do art, just cause I loved it, I feel like they always felt the same.

Iam from Harmontown ms como ms it's in our soul white black mix what a bowl a cereal we got down here nothing but love

R.L. Burnside - это лучшее, что я слышал в блюзе, а может быть и в музыке вообще. Царство ему небесное!

Real sound of the Blues. Great 👍

I bet I have watched this 20 times. The music is amazing , the history is amazing and all of the blues men are amazing. Thank you Fat Possum for documenting arguably what could be the end of an era. I sure hope these men are able to look down and see what a wonderful impact and inspiration their music has had on the world. RIP fellas !!!

Delta and hill country blues are so insular and separated from modern music. Back then at least. They got their guitars tuned to their voice and nothing else. Everything is off and raw but it's so beautiful.

They sing about life's hardships and love🎉 I like his style of playing his guitar

This is such a great slice of history regarding American Blues music that still influences today's musicians. If you've been to a Blues festival in the last ten years, and you loved it, this documentary will explain WHY you loved it.

That's The Real Low Down Dirty Blues...🎸. ❤️

so much pain, of all natures, continousely transformed into something so beautiful : that's pure genius !

Fantastic work in capturing the raw musical essence of this region and the unique voices and characters from there. Truly a documentary gem! 🎶🎸

These Old Blues Gentlemen Know Their Stuff !

Fat Possum are one of my favourite Record Labels. What-with all the fantastic HillSide Blues they release. And having the amazing Spiritualized signed to them too, how fitting... ☘🇮🇪☘

A lot of people are talking about the blues and what it means to have the blues. And I think most people probably think "The blues is happy music. Why is it called the blues?" But back when it first came out, in the 20's is when it really took off in popularity. Before then, people probably heard it down south, maybe mainly in Louisiana and Mississippi. But anyway, during that time, a lot of music was exceedingly happy. "California Here I Come" was very popular for example. There were some sad songs too but the blues is generally considered to be in a major key but it uses a minor scale. So at the time, it had a sadness to it even though it is generally basically happy music. Now days we're used to that sound. Even someone who doesn't like the blues has heard that sound over and over their whole life. But back then it was basically new. The sound of the blues itself, no one really knows for sure but it might go all the way back to the slave days. And that's some real blues. Those cats weren't singing any happy music. Actually that might not be true. But that's another story. Before radios were common and record players were cheap enough for the average person, music would've been a real treat. We hear music everywhere we go now but then, if you were 20 years old, it's conceivable you may have heard music 20 times. Or more or less. It all depends on who you are and where. Many people's experience with music might have come mainly from Nickelodeons or player pianos. In some small towns, people might have only ever heard one single band their whole life. Maybe only square dances. Lol. So that makes for quite a different perception of music. That's not to say there weren't people who would hear music all the time. But it gives you some idea when you learn that when radios did finally become commonplace, people would sometimes travel for miles to hear it. So it seems likely that the sadness in the blues may have been very apparent to someone hearing it for the first time.

Northern Mississippi Hill Country Blues has a different vibe on it's own like the Delta. More of a hypnotic trance rhythm.

The blues is my blood...blues is on my soul...i ave bin on clarksdale...my nody is on italy bad my soul is on clarksdale...dont forghet the blues...🤟🦋🎸

This is going straight into favorites!

Good lord, this is the best thing I ever saw on RU-vid.

Thank you for this masterpiece. Total recognition to these men ... immense.

The best blues history documentary I've seen. Great performances and back stories.

What a wonderful documentary these guys are legends

Man I truly love these cats they was so happy and content with they life’s and truly the original blues

I listen to all types of music from many different genres,from country to heavy metal and everything in between , but I always go back to my true love.. The blues gives me the goosebumps more than anything ever has..

Great Video. A real History lesson about American Icons of whom most, if not all are sadly now all Gone. Hopefully the White adopted Son, the Slide Guitarist and the Blood Grandson of RL Burnside will keep it going and hand it down to an even Younger Generation!! God Bless these Bluesmen and their Families. God Bless 🇺🇸 America!! Jimmy in NC....

I M O - Come on in, is one of the best blues albums ever !

I love this documentary so much, amazing history

One of the best purest guitar, blues guitarist documentaries I've watched. Absolutely love the back story ot the time place and people. So cool you recorded them for history.

It's not always the tools you buy that make you successful, but the ones you're born with ! As demonstrated many places the World over, but especially in the Delta ! @✌️

When I was younger my brother and I would take the tunnel bus from Windsor to Detroit to watch the Bluesfest. We were there from the time it started till the time it ended. Those were some great weekend

Wow....wow,wow wow.... those were thee times...RIP kings

Indispensable piece of music history. Thank you Fat Possum for capturing this (just in time) and making it available for all.

Reminds me of the great -T- Model Ford....some real good music here !!

Please remember that musical giants still walk among us!

I see that I'm #556 commenter & I want to get my Gibson Thunderbird BASS out & play w/ Junior Kimbrough!! Amazing video. Thanks much for the inspiration!

Had a blissful experience in Holly Springs last year unfortunately missed Mr. Caldwell at the shop. Love this documentary.

This brings back memories of my adolescence. I learned so much in such a short time with guys like this. Our band leader, and my blues Mentor, would devise ways for the audience to hear me drumming for a minute or so before they saw that I was both young and white.

I am so honored that this hit my algorithms!!

For a truly amazing update of the Hill Country Blues nowadays, listen to TERRY HARMONICA BEAN (b. 1961). From Pontotoc, MS, son and grandson of bluesmen!

R.L Legendary Burnside & Junior King Kimbrough!! Awesome Doc!!! Thanks @Fat Possum Records!!!

Amazing. Keep this around FOUR EVER 🎸🕺🏾💃👍🏾

R.L. Grandson is a damn good drummer as well

It gets no better than this, this is the real deal, Brilliant.

This is a National Treasure

Been listening to rl Burnside for years and never got to see him play. Cool video thank you for hangin out with all these legends.

RIP Mr Burnside, I love this man's playing and that infectious winning smile. Your Grandson can really play drums I love this, thank you for the video Matthew! Legend mate, love from Australia

Yes! Thank you. I lost my DVD of this when I moved to Sweden 10 years ago. Great to watch it again.