One Note at a Time（2016）

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, music can save the soul of the city, but can the musicians save themselves? “If the musicians ain’t got a chance to live, then what chance has the music got?” Dr John. One Note at a Time is a beautifully crafted, feature documentary, rich with colorful characters. In this mesmerising setting it shows the tragic effects of a failing USA healthcare system. It’s set in the iconic musical backdrop of New Orleans, where the music stopped in 2005…when one of the most deadly and destructive hurricanes in American history struck. The flood defenses failed, flooding the Crescent City for weeks. Lives were lost and lives were shattered. Many displaced musicians felt compelled to return to the chaos and bleak confusion to play again. This is the story of some who made it back, told in their own words, with those who fought alongside to resuscitate the music scene; In particular the founders of The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation, a unique medical facility with the motto… ‘Keeping the music ALIVE’.