Back in 2015, Jack White announced that he was going to executive produce a documentary about the history of recording music alongside T Bone Burnett and Robert Redford. The three-part documentary airs Tuesday, May 16. There is also a film to tag along that will air June 6 and a series of recordings.
A ton of legendary artisits contributed to the project, entitled American Epic, including Willie Nelson, Beck, Nas, Elton John, Alabama Shakes, the late Merle Haggard, and more. The artists got to record songs on super vintage recording systems from the '20s.
You'll be able to watch the documentary series on PBS.
White said this in a statement about the project:
“In American Epic we can examine how important the fact is that when phonograph records were invented, for the first time ever, women, minorities, poor rural men and even children were given the opportunity to say whatever they wanted in song, for the whole world to hear, shockingly without much censorship. What they were allowed to say on phonograph recordings, they were not allowed to speak in public or in person. That is an astounding thought.”
You can watch the trailer for the project below.
