THANKSGIVING 2021 WITH THE NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS
It’s time for gathering with family and friends in thanksgiving. Join us to celebrate the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellows. Each year, the NEA recognizes traditional artists for their excellence and contributions to our nation’s heritage. It’s the highest award in the traditional arts. This year’s honorees include: Filipino rondalla musician Tagumpay Mendoza De Leon; Osage ribbon worker and ceramicist Anita Fields; documentary filmmaker and preservationist Tom Davenport; Louisiana’s Winnsboro Easter Rock gospel ensemble; Hill Country blues drummer and guitarist Cedric Burnside; Puerto Rican mundillo lace weaver Nellie Vera ; Irish flute and whistle maven Joanie Madden; Chicago tap dancer Reginald “Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin; and the Mexican American band from East Los Angeles, Los Lobos. Plus music from prior awardees including Del McCoury, Mavis Staples, Dr. Michael White and John Lee Hooker.
MEMPHIS' HI RECORDS & HI RHYTHM--STORIES AND MUSIC FROM AL GREEN, WILLIE MITCHELL, DON BRYANT, REV. CHARLES HODGES AND ARCHIE "HUBBIE" TURNER
We’ll go up the Mississippi to another great river city of music: Memphis. Known for rhythm & blues, gospel, soul and roots, rock n roll— and landmark record labels: Sun, Stax and Hi Records. On this visit, we’ll listen to the work of Hi Records producer/arranger/trumpeter Willie Mitchell and talk to members of the Hi Rhythm section: Rev. Charles Hodges and Archie “Hubbie” Turner, plus an archival conversation with the man with the most hits for Hi Records, Al Green. Then more memories of those days with old school singer and prolific songwriter Don Bryant, who got his start with Willie Mitchell and is now back in the studio cutting records with lots of soul.
THE COLOR OF MUSIC WITH HENRY BUTLER & LONNIE HOLLEY
Get out your Crayolas and sketch pads, as we fill in the spectrum of musical colors… from red hot jazz to cool blues. What do we see when we hear music? We dig back into the archives for our epic interview with the late, blind New Orleans piano professor Henry Butler about his eclectic musical visions. Then self-taught visual artist Lonnie Holley expands his cosmic imagery into words and music to heal society on what he calls “the mothership”— Earth. Plus, word jazz maestro Ken Nordine narrates the paint palette; Nina Simone plays “Mood Indigo”; George Jones sings “Color of the Blues”; and Los Lobos describe the power of the Lavender Moon.
GUILTY PLEASURES DELUXE
Somewhere on our journey over the past two decades at American Routes, we started talking about “guilty pleasures” shows, where old free form radio roots called for the pleasure of old favorites and new discoveries. But since we broadcast from New Orleans, we’ll drop the word guilty and roll on with the Stones and Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys, Our Native Daughters and Tina Turner, a bootleg tape of Doug Sahm from 70s underground days, and the Mexican American accordion squeeze of Los Texmaniacs.
