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America's Musical Journey
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Explore America's Music on the Giant Screen

America’s Musical Journey follows singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces the roots of American music and explores the great musical cities—places like New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Miami, New York City and more—where such electrifying art forms as jazz, the blues, country, soul and rock and roll were born.

See the movie in IMAX® and Giant Screen theaters or watch the film on GoUSA TV! Watch GoUSA TV on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. You can also download GoUSA TV to your mobile device through the App Store or Google Play. 

 

 

Meet the Artists
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Meet the Artists

Aloe Blacc
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Aloe Blacc

ALOE BLACC HAS STUDIED EVERYTHING FROM PSYCHEDELIC ROCK AND FUNK TO REGGAE, SALSA AND DANCEHALL, AND HAS PROVED HIMSELF A DISTINGUISHED SINGER/SONGWRITER OF FOLK/SOUL/POP WITH HIS MEGA-HIT “WAKE ME UP.”

Jon Batiste
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Jon Batiste

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PIANIST, BANDLEADER AND NEW ORLEANS NATIVE JON BATISTE IS EQUIPPED WITH A DEGREE FROM JUILLIARD AND IN 2015 BECAME THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR OF CBS’ “LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT.”

Gloria and Emilio Estefan
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Gloria & Emilio Estefan

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CUBAN-AMERICAN SUPERSTAR GLORIA ESTEFAN AND HER HUSBAND EMILIO ARE TWO OF THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL LATIN MUSICAL ARTISTS.

Dr. John
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Dr. John

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DR. JOHN IS AN AMERICAN SINGER, SONGWRITER, VOICE ACTOR, PIANIST, AND GUITARIST, WHOSE MUSIC COMBINES BLUES, POP, JAZZ, BOOGIE WOOGIE, AND ROCK AND ROLL.

Bandaloop Dancers
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Bandaloop Dancers

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BANDALOOP’S WORK HAS BEEN PRESENTED ON MUSEUMS, SKYSCRAPERS, BRIDGES, BILLBOARDS, IN NATURE, AND HISTORICAL SITES.

Donnetta and Eddie
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Donnetta and Eddie

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DONNETTA ‘LIL BIT’ JACKSON AND EDDIE ‘PAUSE’ MARTIN JR. ARE ONE OF THE TOP DUOS OF CHICAGO FOOTWORK, A STREET DANCE THAT INVOLVES FAST MOVEMENT OF THE FEET WITH TWISTS AND TURNS.

Ramsey Lewis
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Ramsey Lewis

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RAMSEY LEWIS HAS BEEN AN ICONIC LEADER IN THE CONTEMPORARY JAZZ MOVEMENT FOR OVER 50 YEARS WITH AN UNFORGETTABLE SOUND THAT HAS ALLOWED HIM TO CROSS OVER TO THE POP AND R&B CHARTS.

Willow Osborne
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Willow Osborne

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BORN IN NASHVILLE, SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD WILLOW OSBORNE IS A BANJO VIRTUOSO WHO HAS BEEN WOWING CROWDS ALL OVER TENNESSEE.

Gareth Laffely
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Gareth Laffely

19 YEAR OLD SINGER/SONGWRITER AND AWARD WINNING NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE PLAYER, GARETH LAFFELY IS THE YOUNGEST ARTIST TO REACH #2 ON THE BILLBOARD NEW AGE CHARTS AT 17 YEARS OF AGE.

The Flying Elvi
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The Flying Elvi

THE FLYING ELVI ARE A TEAM OF SKYDIVERS WHO HAVE BEEN IMPERSONATING ELVIS IN THE AIR FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS.

The Fisk Jubilee Singers
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The Fisk Jubilee Singers

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THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS ARE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN VOCAL ENSEMBLE COMPRISED OF STUDENTS AT FISK UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE. THEY ARE KNOWN FOR PRESERVING THE UNIQUE AMERICAN MUSICAL TRADITION KNOWN AS NEGRO SPIRITUALS.

Irma Thomas
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Irma Thomas

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IRMA THOMAS REMAINS ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST DISTINCTIVE AND CLASSIC SINGERS FROM NEW ORLEANS, A TREASURE FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF SOUL MUSIC.

The Detroit Youth Choir
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The Detroit Youth Choir

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THE DETROIT YOUTH CHOIR IS MADE UP OF YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 8 TO 18 UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ANTHONY WHITE.

Beale Street Flippers
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Beale Street Flippers

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AS THE MOST POPULAR ACT ON MEMPHIS’ LEGENDARY MUSIC MECCA BEALE STREET, THE BEALE STREET FLIPPERS ASTONISH THE CROWDS WITH FEATS OF ACROBATIC PROWESS THAT ARE UNBELIEVABLE.

Lil Buck
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Lil Buck

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CHARLES “LIL BUCK” RILEY IS A LOS ANGELES-BASED DANCER FROM MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE WHO SPECIALIZES IN A STYLE OF STREET DANCE CALLED JOOKIN.

The Detroit skyline
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Videos

Official IMAX Trailer

Official IMAX Trailer

Aloe Blacc traces the musical roots of jazz legend Louis Armstrong  in "America’s Musical Journey" a film for IMAX and giant screen theatres.

Aloe Blacc on Louis Armstrong

America's Musical Journey - Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes Featurette

Willow Osborne

Willow Osborne - Banjo Phenom

Sneak Peek Trailer

Sneak Peek Trailer

Chicago Footwork Dancers

Chicago Footwork

Bandaloop Vertical Dancers

Bandaloop Vertical Dancers

Lil Buck, Memphis Jookin

Lil Buck, Memphis Jookin

Jon Batiste - A New Orleans Story

Jon Batiste - A New Orleans Story

Filming in the Arcade Dinner

Filming in the Arcade Diner

New Orleans - The Birthplace of Jazz

New Orleans - The Birthplace of Jazz

Music is life itself. What would this world be without good music?

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong: Following the Footsteps of a Legend

In America’s Musical Journey, Aloe Blacc traces the footsteps of Louis Armstrong from New Orleans to Chicago and beyond, where his impact on jazz and other American musical forms was profound. Born at the turn of the century in New Orleans, a grandson of slaves, Louis Armstrong learned to play the cornet in a boy’s home. A creative prodigy from the start, Armstrong revolutionized jazz with his adventurous solos, bluesy phrasing and bold improvisational style, becoming one of the most influential musical icons of the 20th century.

Louis Armstrong

Elvis Presley: The King of Rock 'n' Roll

Elvis Presley is one of the most influential cultural forces of the 20th century. In America’s Musical Journey, we visit the stops of his early music career, including Sun Studios in Memphis, where Elvis recorded his first song in 1954; the Arcade Restaurant, where he’d enjoy a milkshake after finishing a record; and his home at Graceland. By the year 1956, Elvis had become an international sensation with his unique sound and style and ushered in a new era of American music.

Filmmaker Credits

America's Musical Journey is a MacGillvray Freeman Film produced in association with Brand USA and presented by Expedia.

Director: Greg MacGillvray

Producer: Shaun MacGillvray

Executive Producer: Tom Garzilli

Writer: Stephen Judson

Music By: Steve Wood

Editors: Stephen Judson, Jason Paul and Victoria McGinnis

Director of Cinematography: Brad Ohlund

Aerial Cinematographer: Ron Goodman

Production Manager: Meghan MacGillivray

Production Manager: Kathy Almon

Visual Effects: Alan Markowitz

A performance in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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