Dick Waterman

Martin Scorsese traces the roots of the blues from the Mississippi Delta back to West Africa, journeying from the juke joints of Mississippi to the banks of the Niger River in Mali. Featuring performances by Corey Harris, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, and Ali Farka Touré, along with rare archival footage of blues legends like Son House and Muddy Waters, the film offers a lyrical portrait of the music’s deep African origins.

The search of several young, white men for blues singers who have been missing for decades coincides with the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi in the 1960s.

The Blues (2003) is a seven-part documentary series produced by Martin Scorsese that explores the history and influence of blues music. Each episode, directed by a different filmmaker, traces a unique aspect of the genre’s evolution—from its African roots to its global impact. Originally airing on PBS, the series includes Scorsese’s Feel Like Going Home, Wim Wenders’ The Soul of a Man, Richard Pearce’s The Road to Memphis, Charles Burnett’s Warming by the Devil’s Fire, Marc Levin’s Godfathers and Sons, Mike Figgis’ Red, White and Blues, and Clint Eastwood’s Piano Blues.

Jon Brewer examines the history of blues music in America, marrying startling imagery and expert interviews with archival performances to fill in the gaps about the music itself, its origins and the impact it had and continues to have on popular music today.