Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey through American Music

by Robert Mugge

Named to Kirkus Review's List of "Best Indie Books of 2023"

In Notes from the A Filmmaker's Journey through American Music, Mugge describes the genesis of 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 writes in the 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."

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.

"A documentarian revisits the funkiest musical byways in this scintillating memoir...A vibrant, entertaining panorama of music-making and the picaresque struggle to capture it on film." — KirkusReviews (starred review)

"Robert Mugge just released his memoir, Notes from the A Filmmaker’s Journey through American Music, chronicling fifty years at the forefront of documentary filmmaking. He 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!"
—Aidan Levy, author, Saxophone The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2023

Reviews

[Robert Maier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Mugge is an expert producer of far-flung music documentaries. From the back alleys of Philadelphia to Hula shrines in Hawaii, to Reggae festivals in Jamaica, and Mississippi Delta Juke Joints, Mugge explores the non Top-40 genres and underappreciated nooks and crannies of American music. He brings the joys and struggles of the massive undertakings of taking 3 film cameras, and a 24-track recording truck to dozens of crossroads venues from big city music halls to Louisiana bayous, on miniscule budgets. From these efforts, he has forged a deep body of 34 documentary films, with a revealing vision of the lives and work of often underappreciated, but massively original and talented performers. This book is a marvelous record of these rare accomplishments, and is a compelling read, to boot.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me state up front that I am an absolute music fanatic! I love collecting vinyl, CDs, digital music, going to concerts, you name it. I am particularly interested in Delta blues music (having grown up in Georgia during the Southern Rock era). I knew absolutely nothing about the author Robert Mugge. I believe I first read a review of this book in "The New York Times." I now have a whole bunch of musicians across numerous genres that I intend on listening to thanks to this book. This is a fantastic read! I highly recommend it! Thank you very much, Robert Mugge!