By John Corrado

★★★ (out of 4)

Playing almost like an American blues version of Buena Vista Social Club, I Am The Blues allows us to hang out in the classic juke joints, church halls and front porches in Mississippi that are home to aging musicians including Bobby Rush, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and Barbara Lynn.

They are part of the last generation of blues artists whose music was infused with the pain of working as slaves and in the cotton fields, and even in their upper years, they retain their enthusiasm for jamming together and recounting old stories.

Although it runs a little long at 106 minutes, I Am The Blues is an enjoyable and touching documentary from Canadian filmmaker Daniel Cross.  It’s worth seeing for the abundance of great music and to hear these old masters share their stories and songs.

I Am The Blues is now playing in limited release at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto, tickets and showtimes can be found right here.  It’s also playing at other venues throughout Canada.