There are plenty of American cities with rich and storied musical histories. Memphis, Chicago, New York, Nashville, Seattle and Kansas City among others have all made major contributions to the music history of the US. But only one can lay claim to being the birthplace of jazz and blues. 

Because of its profound, often tangled and diverse roots, there have been plenty of quality documentaries on the music of New Orleans. This is arguably the best. 

From the beginnings of jazz through, blues, Mardi Gras Indians, gospel, rock and roll, funk and finally hip-hop, the story of New Orleans’ music is complex and multi-layered. That presents a problem trying to encapsulate a complete portrait of the city’s soundtrack and how it arose out of social conditions going back to slavery. This skillfully fashioned hour and forty-five minute exploration explains the key factors, both musical and otherwise, that fused to produce the vivacious New Orleans sound. And it does that with astonishing ease.