Samantha Fish performing at the New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival in 2018. Photo by Kim Welsh

Documentary on Samantha Fish Returns to WYES During Jazz Fest

New Orleans blues fans have something to look forward to this Jazz Fest season: Love Letters: Samantha Fish Live from New Orleans will return to the local airwaves for its fourth consecutive year. The half-hour documentary is slated to air on WYES-TV Channel 12 on Saturday, April 26 at 10:30 p.m. and again on Monday, April 28 at 9:30 p.m., coinciding with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Produced by Very Productive Pictures and Carl Van Productions, Love Letters offers an intimate portrait of award-winning blues guitarist and singer Samantha Fish. Shot during the summer of 2021, the film captures a pivotal moment in Fish’s career as she prepared to release her seventh studio album, Faster, and embark on her first post-pandemic tour.

Set largely at Chickie Wah Wah, the beloved New Orleans music club, the documentary blends live performance footage, behind-the-scenes moments, and narration by NPR’s Gwen Thompkins. It explores the rich history of the blues while celebrating the emotional power of live music.

The project is a co-production of WYES, Carl Van Productions, and Very Productive Pictures, and was co-directed by Marian and Jonathan Evans. Producer Carl Van led the project, which has become a staple of local Jazz Fest programming.