America’s Musical Journey is the latest of documentaries shot in IMAX format. The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman and follows the journey of singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc as he tours all over America tracing the roots of America’s musical history across several iconic cities across the country where musical genres were born.
To start, Aloe Blacc dives deep into the history of legendary Jazz artist, Louis Armstrong who began his musical journey in New Orleans. We discover how Louis Armstrong not only revolutionised Jazz, but how his music had an impact on Black America and equal rights.
Our next stop on the musical journey is Memphis, the birthplace of Elvis Presley and Rock’n’Roll. Elvis is easily one of the most influential humans of the 20th Century. Much to the dislike of many radio hosts at the time, Elvis’ phenomenal talent and international success paved the way for new era of music in America.
The film visits many other influential cities across America; Chicago with its Blues music, New York with Hip-Hop and Nashville with its iconic Country sound – just to name a few. We also hear from current artist such as Jon Batiste, The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ramsey Lewis and Gloria & Emilio Estefan.
I love music or anything to do with it. In America’s Musical Journey the stunning IMAX visuals married with the variety of genres of music made this film amazing. The music had me tapping my feet and smiling from ear-to-ear the entire time. It was certainly an enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend seeing it. America’s Musical Journey is out now and is currently showing in Melbourne at IMAX. If you’re not from Melbourne, check our your nearest IMAX theatre near you.