VA - American Epic: The Soundtrack (2017)

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VA - American Epic: The Soundtrack (2017)

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Jack White and Third Man Records have detailed their soundtracks for American Epic, a documentary co-produced by the rocker that focuses on music of the 1920s, the "Big Bang" of popular music. Four days before American Epic premieres on PBS on May 16th, a pair of soundtracks for the film, American Epic: The Soundtrack and American Epic: The Collection will be released physically and digitally on May 12th. The Soundtrack boasts a 15-song anthology from the documentary, featuring "restored" songs from Memphis Jug Band, The Carter Family, Charley Patton and more. The Collection packs 100 songs from the era onto a five-disc set, with each track "restored to unprecedented levels of sonic fidelity."

"This is not 'remastering,' in the normal sense, but something closer to fine art restoration," Third Man said in a statement. "The intent is not for people to marvel at the antiquity of these discs, but rather to experience them as vital, immediate performances that speak to us as directly as they did on the day they were recorded—not simply great art for their time, but great art for all times."

Legacy will also release companion albums dedicated to certain 1920s artists: American Epic: The Carter Family, American Epic: Memphis Jug Band, American Epic: Mississippi John Hurt, American Epic: Blind Willie Johnson American Epic: Lead Belly, as well as thematic collections including American Epic: Blues and American Epic: Country.