American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself

The story of America's first exposure to regional music through the pioneering recordings of the 1920s—and its impact on the nation's culture—is lovingly conveyed in this four-part BBC/PBS series directed by Bernard MacMahon. Narrated by Robert Redford, the first three episodes follow a fairly conventional documentary pattern. “The Big Bang” focuses on scouts such as Ralph Peer, who traveled the South inviting people to be recorded, making major discoveries like the Carter Family—A.P., his wife Sara, and her cousin Maybelle—and the Memphis Jug Band headed by Will Shade. “Blood & Soil” concentrates on music arising from hardship—gospel hymns, labor protest songs, and the Delta blues. And “Out of the Many, the One” covers a potpourri of styles, including Native American (as exemplified in Hopi dances), Hawaiian (with an emphasis on the steel guitar), Tejano, and Cajun, concluding with a look at the serendipitous rediscovery of Mississippi John Hurt, whose appearance at the 1963 Newport Festival became an important part of the era's folk revival. The final episode, “The American Epic Sessions,” consists of 19 recording sessions in which various performers— including Jack White and T. Bone Burnett (who co-produced the series), Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Elton John, and the duo of Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard—record numbers (some new but most old) on a scrupulously reconstructed 1920s machine driven by a weight that slowly inches down during each three-minute “take.” Combining archival materials and interviews with engaging performances, this love letter to the variety of American music is presented on DVD and Blu-ray with an LPCM mono soundtrack. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)