American Epic

“The First Time America Heard Itself”

Documentary

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.

Watch Now Back to Catalog

Episodes & Seasons

Browse episodes by season for this series.

Season 1

4 Episodes

EP 01

01.The Big Bang

57m

2017-05-16

01.The Big Bang

57m

Aired 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.

Watch Episode

EP 02

02.Blood and Soil

57m

2017-05-23

02.Blood and Soil

57m

Aired 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.

Watch Episode

EP 03

03.Out of the Many, the One

1h 27m

2017-05-30

03.Out of the Many, the One

1h 27m

Aired 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.

Watch Episode

EP 04

04.The American Epic Sessions

2h 20m

2017-06-06

04.The American Epic Sessions

2h 20m

Aired 2017-06-06

Using the only 1920's era recording device in existence, Jack White and T Bone Burnett produce a series of recording sessions in tribute to the mostly unknown artists celebrated in the three prior episodes of this PBS documentary series.

Watch Episode