▁his ▁vision ▁for ▁the ▁films ▁and ▁the ▁arch ival ▁foot age ▁to ▁Robert ▁Red ford ▁at ▁their ▁first ▁meeting , ▁Red ford ▁pron ounced ▁it ▁“ America ’ s ▁greatest ▁un t old ▁story ”. ▁Many ▁critics ▁have ▁c ited ▁the ▁American ▁Ep ic ▁films ▁as ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁music ▁document aries ▁ever ▁made . ▁ ▁During ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Ep ic ▁document ary ▁series , ▁Mac M ah on ▁directed ▁and ▁co - w rote ▁The ▁American ▁Ep ic ▁S essions , ▁a ▁document ary ▁film ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁sound ▁engineer ▁restored ▁the ▁f abled ▁long - lost ▁first ▁elect rical ▁sound ▁recording ▁system ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁and ▁twenty ▁contemporary ▁artists ▁paid ▁t ribute ▁to ▁the ▁moment ous ▁machine ▁by ▁attempting ▁to ▁record ▁songs ▁on ▁it ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁ 8 0 ▁years . ▁The ▁film ▁star red ▁Steve ▁Martin , ▁Nas , ▁El ton ▁John , ▁Will ie ▁Nelson , ▁Mer le ▁H agg ard , ▁Alabama ▁Sh akes , ▁Jack ▁White , ▁T aj ▁Mah al , ▁Ana ▁Gabriel , ▁The ▁Av ett ▁Brothers , ▁Rh ian non ▁G idd ens , ▁and ▁Beck . ▁The ▁American ▁Ep ic ▁S essions ▁employed ▁a ▁diverse ▁line - up ▁of ▁perform ers ▁both ▁eth n ically ▁and ▁mus ically ▁to ▁represent ▁the ▁bread th ▁of ▁cult ures ▁that ▁were ▁first ▁given ▁a ▁national ▁platform ▁through ▁the ▁in vention ▁of ▁this ▁recording ▁machine . ▁It ▁also ▁expl ored ▁the ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁record ings