River of Song: A Musical Journey Down the Mississippi

Narrated by contemporary folk diva Ani DiFranco, the PBS documentary series "The Mississippi: A River of Song" is a project five years in the making. Working with the Smithsonian and PBS, John Junkerman and Elijah Wald traveled the length of the great muddy river, capturing the scope, the spirit, and the soul of American music at the close of the century. In interviews and performances, they captured more than 500 musicians -- from a punk concert in Minnesota to a rhythm 'n' blues revue in New Orleans, from a bluegrass festival in Illinois to a gospel choir in Mississippi -- performing in the communities that give meaning to their art.