Dir. Martin Scorsese. 2003, 110 mins. Digital projection. Written by Peter Guralnick. With Ali Farka Toure, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo’. In the first episode of the seven-part series he produced for PBS, Scorsese pays homage to the Delta blues. Musician Corey Harris travels through Mississippi and on to West Africa, exploring the roots of the music. The film celebrates the early Delta bluesmen through original performances (including Willie King, Taj Mahal, Otha Turner, and Ali Farka Toure) and rare archival footage (featuring Son House, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker). “The blues have great emotional resonance,” said Scorsese, “and are the foundation for American popular music."

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