Take Me to the River New Orleans, a new documentary by Martin Shore that celebrates the musical history of New Orleans and Louisiana, is opening exclusively at the Broad Theater, 636 N. Broad Street, on April 22 before rolling out to select theaters nationwide.
Documenting the soul of American music, the first iteration of Take Me To The River, which premiered in 2014, focused on the musical heritage of Memphis and won awards at festivals including Raindance and SXSW. This second film, Take Me To The River: New Orleans, narrated by John Goodman, features a who’s who of New Orleans’ music community, including the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, PJ Morton, Big Freedia, G-Eazy, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Snoop Dogg, Dumpstaphunk, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, William Bell, Ani DiFranco, Donald Harrison, Galactic, the late Dr. John, and many more.
“Memphis told the American music story,” says Shore. “New Orleans is a story of how world music was created.”
From traditional jazz and second line brass bands, to hip hop, rap, funk and soul, the producers of this wholly unique and unprecedented project have paired legendary legacy musicians with the rising stars of the 21st century to create a historic musical collaboration unlike any that has come before. The album features brand new recordings of the final performances from the Neville Brothers and one of the last studio sessions with Dr. John, as well as all new collaborative performances from a range of great New Orleans artists.
In conjunction with the debut of Take Me to the River: New Orleans, Petaluma Records released the official video for “Knockin’” featuring Ledisi, George Porter Jr, Ian Neville and Ivan Neville. The new recording is the sixth single unveiled from the soundtrack for the documentary.
The Take Me To The River: All Stars band will perform at the House of Blues in New Orleans on Thursday, May 5, kicking off the second weekend of The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The ensemble is made up of North Mississippi Allstars brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, and Galactic bassist Robert Mercurio. Joe Ashlar, who is known for his work with Dr. John. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will serve as the special guest for the evening, and the concert will also feature Ivan Neville, George Porter Jr., Ian Neville, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, and Walter “Wolfman” Washington.
A Take Me To The River: All Stars Tour will follow, with Ivan Neville, Ian Neville, Jon Cleary, Robert Mercurio, Terence Higgins, and more set to perform at venues across the country through the month of May.
Take Me To The River: All Stars Tour
May 5: New Orleans, House of Blues
May 10: Chicago, City Winery
May 11: Philadelphia, Ardmore Music Hall
May 12: Brooklyn New York, Brooklyn Bowl
May 13: St. Louis, The Grandel
May 18: Nashville, Brooklyn Bowl
For more information about Take Me to the River, New Orleans, visit the film’s official website.
