Director Martin Scorsese winds his way from the banks of the Niger River in Mali to the cotton fields and juke joints of the Mississippi Delta to trace the origins of the blues in a lyrical combination of original performances (including Willie King, Corey Harris, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Otha Turner, Habib Koité, Salif Keita and Ali Farka Toure) and rare archival footage (featuring Son House, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker).