Notes from the Road:
A Filmmaker’s Journey through American Music
by Robert Mugge

2023 The Sager Group LLC 352 pages

Available to order wherever books are sold.

Since 1976, Robert Mugge has created three dozen documentaries about various aspects of American culture, with particular emphasis on traditional forms of American music. In his new memoir, Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey through American Music, Mugge describes the genesis of what he considers to be his twenty-five key music films, the methods employed in making them, and the experiences shared by him, his crews, and his subjects. This retrospection is organized not so much chronologically as thematically, in order to reveal connective tissue among efforts made over multiple decades.

As William Reynolds Ferris, one of Mugge's role models, writes in his foreword to the book, "Mugge both thrills and exhausts us as he describes the process of making his films. He shifts his camera lens deftly from classical music to bluegrass to jazz to Tex-Mex to gospel to reggae to Hawaiian slack-key guitar. A gifted filmmaker and a fine writer, Mugge introduces us to musicians, record producers, and his trusted film crew, which at times includes his wife, Diana. This book offers an intimate view of his struggles as a filmmaker and his determination to capture our nation's music on film."

As Aidan Levy, author of Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins, writes in his endorsement of the book, “[Robert Mugge] has taken us backstage (and onstage) to give us the story behind the music of Sonny Rollins, Gil Scott-Heron, Sun Ra, and so many other legendary artists. Now he is taking us behind the scenes to reveal how the films were made. He is one of my favorite directors, supremely gifted at visual storytelling, but as it turns out, he may be just as engaging on the page. I strongly encourage all music lovers, cinephiles, and anyone interested in a peripatetic life lived off the beaten path to get this book!”

Notes from the Road is a fascinating exploration of the visual documentation of musical creation--a separate and distinct form of documentary filmmaking, as practiced by one of its chief proponents. The resulting "notes from the road" provide a lyrical introduction to his personal musical odyssey.

Jim Hynes's book review from the March 15, 2023 issue of MAKING A SCENE: The Independent Music Magazine

A 60-minute video introduction to Robert Mugge's
filmmaking memoir, NOTES FROM THE ROAD

Click here to view four promotional videos and a 60-minute video introduction:
Rosie Ledet • Al Green • Dale Hawkins • Gil Scott-Heron • Introduction

The Twenty-Five Films Discussed at Length (in the order addressed)

George Crumb: Voice of the Whale, Gather at the River: A Bluegrass Celebration, Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise, Saxophone Colossus with Sonny Rollins, Black Wax with Gil Scott-Heron, Gospel According to Al Green, The Return of Rubén Blades, Cool Runnings: The Reggae Movie, Hawaiian Rainbow, Kumu Hula: Keepers of a Culture, Deep Blues, Hellhounds on My Trail: The Afterlife of Robert Johnson, Pride and Joy: The Story of Alligator Records, True Believers: The Musical Family of Rounder Records, The Kingdom of Zydeco, Zydeco Crossroads: A Tale of Two Cities, Iguanas in the House, Rhythm 'N' Bayous: A Road Map to Louisiana Music, New Orleans Music in Exile, Last of the Mississippi Jukes, Blues Divas, Deep Sea Blues, All Jams on Deck, Big Shoes: Walking and Talking the Blues, Giving Up the Ghosts: Closing Time at Doc's Music Hall.

Photos from the 25 Films Discussed

Click Each Picture for a Larger View and Caption

George Crumb #1

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Gather at the River #1

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Sun Ra #1

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Saxophone Colossus #1

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Black Wax #1

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Al Green #1

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Ruben Blades #1

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Cool Runnings #1

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Hawaiian Rainbow #1

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Kumu Hula #1

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Deep Blues #1

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Pride and Joy #1

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True Believers #1

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Kingdom of Zydeco #1

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Zydeco Crossroads #1

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Iguanas in the House #1

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Rhythm 'N' Bayous #1

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New Orleans Music in Exile #1

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Last of the Mississippi Jukes #1

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Blues Divas #1

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Deep Sea Blues #1

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All Jams On Deck #1

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Big Shoes #1

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Docs Music Hall #1

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