On November 6, 2024 - just one day into a new political era - Alberta roots songsmith Dave McCann landed in Memphis and headed south to Mississippi. His destination: The Zebra Ranch, the legendary home studio of the late Jim Dickinson (Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt).

 

Teaming up with producer Jimbo Mathus (Buddy Guy, Elvis Costello, Ironing Board Sam, Bette Smith, Valerie June), McCann recorded Soothsayer’s Blues - his seventh album and most unapologetic to date.

 

What emerged is no ordinary roots record - it’s a fierce and poetic reckoning with the spirit of North American music itself. A meditation on the Folk Process, It doesn’t settle into Gospel, Blues, Country, or Rock ’n’ Roll - but moves through all of them, echoing their ghosts, carrying their weight, and looking for truth along the way.

 

This documentary dives deep into that journey - into the vision, the place, and the process that shaped Soothsayer’s Blues. It’s a story of sound, soul, and the search for something timeless.​​