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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FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND: THE BEST OF AMERICAN ROUTES LIVE

September 1st, 2021

This Labor Day weekend, it’s the best of American Routes Live—studio concerts and conversation in collaboration with the National Jazz Historical Park in New Orleans— including the Pine Leaf Boys with Cajun tunes and dances, Haitian-American singer songwriter Leyla McCalla and her band, Creole banjoist and songman Don Vappie, New Orleans’s king of the trumpet Kermit Ruffins, jazz saxophone modernist Donald Harrison and a never before heard acoustic set by Rickie Lee Jones.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Segment: Pine Leaf Boys

    Listen
  • Pine Leaf Boy Two-Step Pine Leaf Boys
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Je t'aime Toujours/I Love You Still Pine Leaf Boys
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Allons Rock n Roll/ Let's Rock n Roll Pine Leaf Boys
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Keep Your Hands Off Of It Pine Leaf Boys
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Tites Yeux Noires/Little Black Eyes Pine Leaf Boys
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Instrumental: A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey Leyla McCalla
    A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey, Leyla McCalla
  • Segment: Leyla McCalla

    Listen
  • Girl Leyla McCalla and friends
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • La tibonit Leyla McCalla and friends
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Kamen Sa Y Fe Leyla McCalla and friends
    American Routes Live Recording ,
  • Capitalist Blues Leyla McCalla and friends
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Segment: Donald Harrison

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Free to Be Donald Harrison Quintet
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • One for Bird Donald Harrison Quintet
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Iko Iko Donald Harrison Quintet
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • End Bed: Indian Blues Donald Harrison & Dr. John
    Indian Blues, Candid Productions

HOUR two

  • Segment: Don Vappie

    Listen
  • C'est L'Autre Cancan Don Vappie and Friends
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • St. Thomas Don Vappie and Friends
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Eh La Bas Don Vappie and Friends
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Instrumental: Basin Street Blues Don Vappie
    Blue Book of Storyville, Lejazzetal
  • Segment: Kermit Ruffins

    Listen
  • Sleepytime Down South Kermit Ruffins
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Secondline Kermit Ruffins
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • When the Saints go Marching In Kermit Ruffins
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Instrumental: New Orleans (My Home Town) Kermit Ruffins
    Happy Talk, Basin Street
  • Segment: Rickie Lee Jones

    Listen
  • Crossroads Rickie Lee Jones
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Hello in There Rickie Lee Jones
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • Chuck E's in Love Rickie Lee Jones
    American Routes Live Recording,
  • End Bed: Buddy Bolden's Blues Don Vappie
    Blue Book of Storyville, Lejazzetal

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 7th, 2023

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

    Listen
  • May 31st, 2023

    PIANO PEOPLE AND MORE: JASON MORAN & HEATH ALLEN

    Listen
  • May 24th, 2023

    MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE 2022 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

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