Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues is a documentary film by director Bestor Cram. Born in 1935 on Bonnie Blue plantation in Tunica, Mississippi, James ‘Super Harp’ Cotton was a powerhouse of the blues. He learned from Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and became a mentor to harp players around the globe as he brought the delta blues into mainstream rock ‘n roll. Orphaned at nine, Cotton’s journey tracks America’s history during a time when the weight of racial inequity made his journey seem impossible. The film is a unique portrait of an era and its impact today.
Featuring rarely seen archival footage and some of today’s finest harp and blues musicians, the film offers a fresh understanding of Cotton’s impact on our cultural heritage. Funding from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation supported production of the film, as well as archival and music licensing.
Check out the trailer below and find a screening near you here
