A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch and review “Take Me to the River: New Orleans,” a music documentary about the famed city and its musical roots. It was a one-of-a-kind experience. Most music documentaries I’ve seen center on one musician or artist; but here I found one that brought you headfirst into a musical experience. The documentary starts by introducing you to some New Orleans talent (recording artist Ledisi and NOLA legend Irma Thomas), but by the time the documentary is over, rather than feel you know these people, you feel you know this city. Its vibes, its heart…its soul.
This week I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the director of the film, Martin Shore, about “Take Me to the River” and all it offers. Shore is a musician and music producer, in addition to this film’s director; here he talks about his desire to bring the musical legend of NOLA to his documentary. As we learn in the documentary, New Orleans is not just any one musical style—it is a melting pot of musical eclecticism blended to perfection. Amidst this perfection, you can see—and feel—a unique style that infiltrates all its musical stylings: from Jazz, to Blues, to Rap/Hip-Hop, and more.
There’s a Soul to New Orleans
In addition to the musical stylings of the film, Shore also talks to The Movie Buff about some of the various musical talent in “Take Me to the River” (from the aforementioned Irma Thomas to G Easy and Snoop Dogg, to Aaron Neville and the Neville brothers, to George Porter Jr.). Shore also talks about the NOLA musical style that unites them. He also discusses, sadly, the devastating impact Hurricane Katrina had on both NOLA’s infrastructure and its music scene as well.
Take a listen to the interview either on YouTube, or in the window below. “Take Me to the River” premiered on 4/22/22 in New Orleans at The Broad Theater. The film has subsequently opened in New York and Los Angeles, with a rollout to select theaters nationwide to follow.
For more information about this documentary, visit: www.takemetotheriver.org.
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