September 5, 1999

Maxwell Street Video on the Internet

A nine-minute video of Maxwell Street is available for viewing on the Internet. Most of the footage was shot in 1998 and 1999 by James Fraher, Robert Wyrod, and Steve Balkin. There is also some archival footage of Maxwell Street in the 1920s and 1960s. The narrator is Chuck Cowdery and the executive producer is Eliott Zashin.

This short video tries to make the case for Maxwell Street to be fixed up, cleaned up, and saved. While much is gone, much remains. It is living history. Watch the video and see

• Maxwell Street Bluesman Jimmie Lee Robinson singing while a demolition is going on.
• Maxwell Street son, community activist Frank Williams, talking about Smokey Joes.
• Maxwell Street Blueswoman, Johnnie Mae Dunson, singing with Muddy Water's guitarist John Primer and Junior Wells protege, Jody Noa, backing her. Later, she sings a solo blues lament to UIC Chancellor Broski.
• Dapper Mr. Wanko talking while eating a Maxwell Street Polish sausage.
• Social Worker, neighborhood daughter, and UIC grad, Mignon Pruitt, talking about the street vendors.
• Joe Stefanovic, the son of Jim -- the inventor of the Maxwell Street Polish and original owner of Original Jims. Joe talks about the importance of the area.
• Barkin Bill singing at the Maxwell Street Wall of Fame bandstand in his purple Zoot Suit, bought on Maxwell Street. This was recorded in May of 1999. Blue is still alive on Maxwell Street!

Click here to see the video.

It may take a few minutes for your computer to spawn the viewer, connect to the server, and buffer the file.

This video is a real video file. Too see it you need to have a version of Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer, Version 4.0 or higher. A Real Video player is built into these webbrowsers. Or you can add a Real Video player to any browser by going to http://www.realplayer.com/. The latest version of the player is G2.

Warning: The quality of this Internet video is just fair. The sound is good but the picture is a bit jumpy and lacks the crisp resolution of the original. If you want to own the original send $10 + $3 postage requesting an original VHS copy to the Coalition.

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