AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté June 7th, 2023 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté

It’s Blueswomen, Jazzmen, African roots and branches. Chicago blues singer Shemekia Copeland‘s father, the late blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, brought her into his music as a child. As an adult, she found new ways to use blues to express her perspective. We’ll hear from some of Shemekia’s heroes including Etta James, Ruth Brown, Alberta Hunter and Big Mama Thornton. Then a conversation and performance by Boston-based Mandinka balafon player Balla Kouyaté and music inspired by and from the continent of Africa from Randy Weston, Miriam Makeba and the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Shemekia Copeland photo by Mike White

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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

MUSIC AND WORDS OF WISDOM: A CORONA STRAY FROM HOME COMPANION, VOL. 3

June 10th, 2020

We walk the line of isolation and go outside carefully with music and words of wisdom for contemplation, comfort and hope. It’s a Corona Stray from Home Companion, in conversations with a few of our favorite artists including Tejano accordionist Flaco Jimenez and the late Ray Charles — both speaking of their families’ role in helping them emerge as great musical citizens. We harken to the creative wisdom of jazz, locally and globally, with the late pianist Dave Brubeck whose travels abroad as a soldier and later with Louis Armstrong lead him to “Take Five” and other worldly sounds. And we take to the streets with New Orleans Original Pinettes Brass Band, the first such women’s jazz ensemble today. Plus: music from Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and John Prine.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Rockhouse Ray Charles
    The Atlantic Hits, Warner
  • Segment: Ray Charles

    Listen
  • 2020 Vision Danny Schmidt
    2020 Vision single, Live Once Records
  • 20/20 Vision Jimmy Martin
    Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, Bear Family
  • Isn't that So Jesse Winchester
    First Down, and 110 to Go, Bearsville Records
  • Instrumental: Going Down the Road Feeling Bad Etta Baker
    Railroad Bill, Music Maker Recordings
  • I Knew I Could Fly Our Native Daughters
    Our Native Daughters, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Tomorrow is a Long Time Sandy Denny
    Sandy, Universal-Island Records
  • Hoping Machine Jay Farrar, Will Johnson and Anders Parker
    New Multitudes, Rounder
  • Isolation Dirty Projectors
    Isolation single , Domino Recording Company
  • Only the Lonely Roy Orbison
    Lonely and Blue, Monument
  • Instrumental: Juarez Flaco Jimenez
    Flaco Jimenez - "Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio" y mas, Arhoolie
  • Segment: Flaco Jimenez

    Listen
  • Blues Stay Away from Me Doug Sahm and His Band
    Doug Sahm and His Band, Atlantic
  • Sunday Morning Coming Down Los Cenzontles
    Los Cenzontles--Covers 2, Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center
  • End Bed: Sleep Walk Flaco Jiménez and Steve Jordan
    Flaco Jiménez vs. Steve Jordan-The Battle of La Bamba, Joey Records

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Bourbon Street Parade Young Tuxedo Brass
    Jazz Begins, Atlantic
  • Rainy Day Women #12 x 35 Bob Dylan
    Blonde on Blonde, Columbia
  • Illegal Smile John Prine
    John Prine , Atlantic
  • Me, Myself and I Memphis Slim
    The Bluebird Recordings 1940-1941, BMG
  • My Baby Just Cares for Me Nina Simone
    Nina Simone--Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles, Bethlehem
  • It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got that Swing Louis Armstrong
    Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington--Recording Together for the First Time, Roulette
  • Instrumental: Unsquare Dance Dave Brubeck Quartet
    Time Further Out, Columbia
  • Segment: Dave Brubeck

    Listen
  • Blue Monk Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk
    Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk, Atlantic
  • Instrumental: Blue Monk Abbey Lincoln
    Abbey Sings Abbey, Verve Int'l
  • Segment: The Original Pinettes Brass Band

    Listen
  • End Bed: Baby The Original Pinettes Brass Band
    American Routes original recording from the 2014 Treme Creole Gumbo Festival,

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 7th, 2023

    BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND AND BALLA KOUTATé

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  • 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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