American Epic

Synopsis

Travel the country in search of unknown 1920s artists, when the music of ordinary Americans was recorded for the first time, transforming music forever, in a three-part film narrated by Robert Redford, featuring Jack White, Nas, Taj Mahal and others.

First Air Date: 2017-05-16

Last Air Date: 2017-05-30

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 3

Created By: Bernard MacMahon

Networks: PBS

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Robert Redford as Narrator (voice)
Taj Mahal as Self
Mississippi John Hurt as Self (archive footage)
Jack White as Self
Nas as Self
Willie Nelson as Self
Lydia Mendoza as Self (archive footage)

Seasons

Season 1 (2017)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: The Big Bang (2017-05-16)

Travel to 1920s Tennessee as the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Memphis Jug Band make their first records with producer Ralph Peer on a revolutionary portable recording machine, creating the first recordings of R&B and country songs.
Ep. 2: Blood and Soil (2017-05-23)

Travel to the rural South as Elder Burch, Charley Patton and others record early Delta blues, gospel and protest songs. The Great Flood of 1927 devastates Mississippi River communities, leading to northern migration and Chicago Blues by Howlin' Wolf.
Ep. 3: Out of the Many, the One (2017-05-30)

Discover how America's diverse cultures contribute to its musical styles: from the Hopi tribe to Hawaii's Joseph Kekuku to Mexican-American Lydia Mendoza and the Cajun Breaux Family. Mississippi John Hurt's blues inspires a generation of musicians.