Reason 53: Down by the river - A celebration of New Orleans Blues (Documentary)
“‘Down by the River’, an exclusive film that documents Hugh’s journey to New Orleans and sees him exploring the roots of the music he loves; blues and jazz.”
“I know I am not the first person to have done this journey. Every man is allowed one pilgrimage in his life. This is mine.” Hugh Laurie
“Now, I know that there are going to be some people who say that a middle-class, middle-aged, balding Englishman has no business having anything to do with the blues. And I see, I understand that argument but at the same time I would say: Fuck off.” Hugh Laurie
“This whole experience has been closer to who I am than many of the things I’ve done. Because the subject was so dear to my heart and the odyssey, if I can pretentiously call it that, was so important to me, [the film] was something I was able to not really consciously worry about too much. I just let it happen. It was very unplanned. It was a genuine journey of discovery. Whatever we found, we just found.” Hugh Laurie