The story is about the first recordings of roots music in the United States in the 1920s and their cultural, social and technological impact on North America and around the world. The story is told by twelve ethnically and musically diverse musicians who auditioned for and participated in these groundbreaking recording sessions: The Carter Family, The Memphis Jug Band, Reverend JE Burch, The Williamson Brothers, Dick Justice, Charley Patton, The Hopi Indian Chanters, Joseph Kekuku, Lydia Mendoza, the Breaux Family, Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Willie Johnson.