His fascination with the roots of American music has led to a series of remarkable non-fiction films. His award-winning theatrically released film, "Say Amen, Somebody" explores the lives and works of the pioneers of Gospel music. Celebrated at major film festivals including Cannes, Telluride, New York, Toronto and London, "Say Amen" was named one of the Ten Best Films of the Year by People Magazine, Rolling Stone and Roger Ebert. He also received an Emmy nomination for directing "That Rhythm … Those Blues," a film exploring the early days of Rhythm and Blues for the prestigious PBS series "The American Experience."