The nightclub scene was magical in Chicago’s South and West sides in the late 1950s and during that time, white kids from the suburbs were finding The Blues at the end of their radio dials, buying the records, studying the music and traveling down to the clubs to meet and play with their idols!

That story is told in the new Bob Sarles film, Born in Chicago. We are joined by musician/bandleader Jimmy Vivino and Blues legend Barry Goldberg who, along with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield, learned his craft at the feet of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King and Buddy Guy. 

Barry and Jimmy created the film’s soundtrack and they are steeped in the history of Chicago Blues and loaded with stories and wisdom about class, race, inter-generational guidance and the joy of sharing and celebrating an art form that contains the power to transform us for the better.

Barry and Jimmy give us a full account of the evolution of blues and blues rock from the '50s through today. Barry tells us about sitting in with Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf as a teenager and his frenemy relationship with the British invasion acts like The Stones and Eric Clapton who also idolized the Blues greats. He talks about playing in one of our nation’s first racially integrated bands, Electric Flag and his experience on stage with Dylan when he “went electric” at the Newport Folk Festival.

Jimmy and Barry describe composing the documentary's soundtrack & more and the blues standards that informed their musical choices.

Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending Shiny Happy People: Dugger Family Secrets on Prime and Fair Play on Hulu and Prime.

Path Points of Interest:

Born in Chicago

Born in Chicago - IMDB

Q&A with Directors in Chicago Reader

Born in Chicago on Facebook

Jimmy Vivino

Jimmy Vivino on Wikipedia

Jimmy Vivino on Instagram

Jimmy Vivino on Facebook

Barry Goldberg

Barry Goldberg on Wikipedia

Barry Goldberg on imdb

Shiny Happy People: Dugger Family Secrets

Fair Play - Prime/Hulu