Product Description

This is a landmark presentation of contemporary musicians who have forged their styles out of the rich heritage found along the banks of the Mississippi. The musical diversity yet striking continuity found in this remarkable region is reflected by the range of artists like: Jimmie Davis with Merle, Soul Rebels, the Skal Club Spelmanslg, Manny Lopez Quintet, Eugene Redmon and Sylvester "Sunshine" Lee and others.

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The remarkable two-disc River of Song is the first of a stunning multimedia project (including a four-part PBS documentary, public-radio interviews, and book) on which an array of artists under the tutelage of director-curator Anthony Seeger give voice and share the lore of America's great Mississippi River. The musical journey is parceled into quadrants: from the Northern headwaters, slicing through Twain's heartland; snaking down into the Deep South; wending through Louisiana, where music is king; and culminating at its life-giving, life-taking mouth, the Gulf of Mexico. Prolonged visitation occurs in musical meccas Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans, showcasing the abundant talent and distinct sound of each locale. River of Song celebrates not only the landscapes through which the water traverses but also the colorful cultures that have sprung from and thrive at her banks: Native American, Dutch, African-American, Cajun, and subcultures and hybrids of youth and religion, including indie-rock hipsters, heartland country rockers, Delta blues men, Mexican Dixieland jazz, and both black and white gospel musics from deep believers of faith. Much like driving the Natchez Trace, the journey is profoundly American--deeply affecting in providing not only a sense of the present but of our very roots. --Paige La Grone