River of Song for Various Audiences

The remarkable River of Song, a two-disc project, is a landmark presentation that showcases contemporary musicians who have forged their styles from the rich heritage found along the banks of the Mississippi. This stunning multimedia project, which includes a four-part PBS documentary, public-radio interviews, and a book, gives voice and shares the lore of America's great Mississippi River under the tutelage of director-curator Anthony Seeger.

The musical journey is divided into four quadrants, capturing the diverse yet striking continuity of the region. From the Northern headwaters, slicing through Twain's heartland, to the Deep South, and wending through Louisiana, where music is king, the journey culminates at the life-giving, life-taking mouth of the Gulf of Mexico. Prolonged visitation occurs in musical meccas such as 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. The remarkable range of artists featured in this project includes Jimmie Davis with Merle, Soul Rebels, the Skal Club Spelmanslg, Manny Lopez Quintet, Eugene Redmon, and Sylvester "Sunshine" Lee, among others.

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. As Entertainment Weekly noted, "The Mississippi is an arbitrary prop; they could just as easily have driven haphazardly around the U.S." However, the dazzling overview of the diverse music developed by known and unknown talents living along the Mississippi reveals in 36 tracks the multicultural depth of true Americana, as remarked by Vibe.

The project includes such gritty performers as blues pianist Henry Butler and singer Irma Thomas, but the 36 selections also include the wan sounds of the alternative-rock bands Soul Asylum and Babes in Toyland, showcasing the musical diversity yet striking continuity found in this remarkable region, as People magazine observed.

product information: