Legendary Mississippi bluesman Sterling Magee experienced the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians firsthand. So he walked away to play on the streets of Harlem for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of freedom and became a New York City legend. When a white Jewish scholar and musician named Adam Gussow asked if he could join him one day, both their lives took a powerful turn.
Adam put aside the ivory tower life to play in the streets, and Sterling's embrace of his younger apprentice forged a sound that thrust him back in the spotlight, including a fortuitous encounter with members of rock icons U2. But life on the road took its toll on the duo, and suddenly Sterling vanished without a trace. The separation would test both men’s courage, and their journey to find each other again is a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth.
Shot over 23 years, Satan & Adam is a celebration of the transformative power of music, and the bonds that develop when artists collaborate and worlds collide.
Legendary Mississippi bluesman Sterling Magee experienced the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians firsthand. So he walked away to play on the streets of Harlem for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of freedom and became a New York City legend. When a white Jewish scholar and musician named Adam Gussow asked if he could join him one day, both their lives took a powerful turn.
Adam put aside the ivory tower life to play in the streets, and Sterling's embrace of his younger apprentice forged a sound that thrust him back in the spotlight, including a fortuitous encounter with members of rock icons U2. But life on the road took its toll on the duo, and suddenly Sterling vanished without a trace. The separation would test both men’s courage, and their journey to find each other again is a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth.
Shot over 23 years, Satan & Adam is a celebration of the transformative power of music, and the bonds that develop when artists collaborate and worlds collide.
Legendary Mississippi bluesman Sterling Magee experienced the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians firsthand. So he walked away to play on the streets of Harlem for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of freedom and became a New York City legend. When a white Jewish scholar and musician named Adam Gussow asked if he could join him one day, both their lives took a powerful turn.
Adam put aside the ivory tower life to play in the streets, and Sterling's embrace of his younger apprentice forged a sound that thrust him back in the spotlight, including a fortuitous encounter with members of rock icons U2. But life on the road took its toll on the duo, and suddenly Sterling vanished without a trace. The separation would test both men’s courage, and their journey to find each other again is a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth.
Shot over 23 years, Satan & Adam is a celebration of the transformative power of music, and the bonds that develop when artists collaborate and worlds collide.