AMERICAN ROUTES
Piano People and More: Jason Moran & Heath Allen Piano People and More: Jason Moran & Heath Allen May 31st, 2023 (Hour 1)
Piano People and More: Jason Moran & Heath Allen

Jazz pianist Jason Moran started out in Houston playing classical music, but found his way to jazz through Thelonious Monk. We’ll learn more about his adventures in the NYC jazz scene. Then a conversation and tour around the piano with Philadelphia cabaret player and creator Heath Allen, plus music from Fats Waller, Jerry Lee Lewis, Herbie Hancock, and Sweet Emma.

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MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, SHINE A LIGHT ON ME: PRISON MUSIC FROM ANGOLA, LOUISIANA & BEYOND

September 27th, 2017

In this special program, we visit Angola, the notorious plantation-turned-penitentiary, to hear stories and songs from within the prison’s walls. We talk with saxophonist Charles Neville about serving time at the “Farm” during the Jim Crow era, playing with fellow inmates in the Nic Nacs, and the role of music in integrating prison life. We hear previously unreleased Harry Oster field recordings of Mardi Gras Indian chants and bebop jazz from Angola in the late-50s. And we go on-site for interviews and performances with contemporary Angola musicians. Plus, we explore the popular tradition of prison music from singing inmates like Leadbelly and Merle Haggard to live performances from Johnny Cash at San Quentin and B.B. King at Cook County Jail.

Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Berta Big Louisiana (Rodney Mason), Rev. Rogers, & Roosevelt Charles
    Prison Worksongs, Arhoolie
  • Chain Gang Sam Cooke
    Greatest Hits, RCA
  • Parchman Farm Mose Allison
    The Collection, Floating World
  • Prison Blues Finally Got the Best of Me The Nic Nacs
    Unreleased recording by Harry Oster at Angola Prison,
  • SEGMENT: Charles Neville Part I

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Midnight Special Tiny Grimes
    Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974, Atlantic
  • Midnight Special Leadbelly
    Bourgeois Blues, Smithsonian Folkways
  • CLIP: Ben Harbert on Leadbelly
  • Where Did You Sleep Last Night Final Mission Band of Dixon Correctional Institute
    American Routes recording at Angola Prison,
  • Midnight Special Johnny Rivers
    Totally Live at the Whiskey a Go-Go, Capitol
  • Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash
    At Folsom Prison, Columbia
  • San Quentin Johnny Cash
    Johnny Cash at San Quentin, Columbia
  • Instrumental: unreleased song The Nic Nacs
    Unreleased recording by Harry Oster at Angola Prison,
  • CLIP: Leotha Brown from Follow Me Down Documentary
  • Unreleased song The Nic Nacs
    Unreleased recording by Harry Oster at Angola Prison,
  • CLIP: Larry Wilkerson
  • CLIP: John Henry Taylor from Follow Me Down Documentary
  • CLIP: "There's 12 Gates to Heaven" from Follow Me Down Documentary
  • Twelve Gates to the City John Cephas and Phil Wiggins
    Cool Down , Alligator
  • Long Black Veil Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
    unreleased,
  • Green Green Grass of Home Jerry Lee Lewis
    Country Songs for City Folks, Smash
  • CLIP: AJ Freeman with the Gospel Ghost Riders
  • On My Way Home The Main Prison Gospel Band on stage at Angola Prison
    American Routes recording at Angola Prison,
  • Closing Bed: Midnight Special Jimmy Smith
    Midnight Special, Capitol

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Tu-Way Pocky Way Harry Oster Recording with the Prisoners
    Unreleased recording by Harry Oster at Angola Prison,
  • Hey Pocky-Way Charles Neville with the Jazz Men
    American Routes recording at Angola Prison,
  • Introductions B.B. King
    B.B. King Live in Cook County Jail, ABC
  • How Blue Can You Get B.B. King
    B.B. King Live in Cook County Jail, ABC
  • Intro from "They're Tearin' the Labor Camp Down" Merle Haggard
    Vintage Collections, Capitol
  • Fugitive Merle Haggard
    I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, Capitol
  • Sing Me Back Home Merle Haggard
    Sing Me Back Home, Capitol
  • The Prisoner's Song Warren Storm
    Warren Storm, Excello Records
  • Instrumental: Moanin' Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
    Art Blakey is Jazz, Music Club
  • CLIP: Angola Bound Angola inmates a capella
    Unreleased recording by Harry Oster at Angola Prison,
  • CLIP: Angola Bound Aaron Neville
    The Very Best of Aaron Neville, A&M
  • CLIP: "There's no more Angola Bound" from Follow Me Down Documentary
  • SEGMENT: Charles Neville Part II

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Alligator Bogaloo Lou Donaldson
    The Blue Note Years: Vol. 3- Organ and Soul, Blue Note
  • CLIP: Christie Nelson from Follow Me Down Documentary
  • Pardon Denied Again Robert Pete Williams
    I'm Blue As A Man Can Be, Arhoolie
  • CLIP: Reverend Sydney DeLoach
  • CLIP: Charles Neville
  • CLIP: Ben Harbert
  • CLIP: "Nowhere Bound" Alford Rose from Follow Me Down Documentary
  • I'm Going Home Ervin Webb with Prisoners
    Alan Lomax, Southern Journey: 61 Highway Mississippi , Rounder
  • I Shall Be Released Nina Simone
    Here Comes the Sun & Other Great Hits, Arista
  • Closing Bed: Parchman Blues Tangle Eye
    Alan Lomax's Southern Journey Remixed, Zoe

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 31st, 2023

    PIANO PEOPLE AND MORE: JASON MORAN & HEATH ALLEN

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  • May 24th, 2023

    MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE 2022 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

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  • May 17th, 2023

    WORDS TO THE WISE: LORETTA LYNN, BILL KIRCHEN & LES FRERES MICHOT

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