AMERICAN ROUTES
May the Fourth Be With Us! American Routes Independence Day Then & Now May the Fourth Be With Us! American Routes Independence Day Then & Now June 29th, 2022 (Hour 1)
May the Fourth Be With Us! American Routes Independence Day Then & Now

This July 4th weekend, we dive into the record crates to bring you music of celebration, hope and critique from Nina Simone, Randy Newman, Sly Stone and Jon Batiste. Then, the July 4th roots of American Routes as we go back to the 1990s, deep in the archive, for highlights from The American Roots Independence Day concerts at the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Join us for spectacular stage performances by the urbane blues hero Charles Brown, the Texas Playboys with Johnny Gimble playing Western swing, Mexican-American Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Young Tuxedo Brass with New Orleans jazz, and Hawaiian music and song of slack-key guitar master Ledward Kaapana.

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BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND & BALLA KOUYATé

May 18th, 2022

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

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: After Hour Swing Sammy Price & King Curtis
    Rib Joint: Roots of Rock n Roll, Savoy
  • As Long as I'm Moving Ruth Brown
    Rock n Roll, Atlantic
  • Harlem Blues Big Maybelle
    Marnie Webster sings W.C. Handy, Cub
  • Chirpin' the Blues Alberta Hunter
    Songs We Taught Your Mother, Fantasy
  • Walkin' Blues Big Mama Thornton
    Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings, MCA
  • Instrumental: It Ain't Necessarily So Mary Lou Williams
    Mary Lou Williams, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Golden Girl Blues Trudy Lynn
    Golden Girl, NOLA Blue Records
  • Old Man Blues Johnny Copeland
    When the Rain Starts Fallin', Rounder
  • Sweet Dreams Tommy McClain
    Swamp Gold, Vol. 1, Jin
  • Sweet Dreams Patsy Cline
    The Last Sessions, MCA
  • I'd Rather Go Blind Etta James
    The Best of Etta James, UMG
  • Instrumental: Back in Business Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins
    Back in Business, Cello Records
  • It's All Over Now Valentinos
    Lookin' for Love: The Complete SAR Recordings, ABKCO
  • Under My Thumb Shemekia Copeland
    Uncivil War, Alligator Records
  • T-Bone Shuffle Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland
    Showdown!, Alligator Records
  • SEGMENT: Shemekia Copeland

    Listen
  • End Bed: Pickin' the Blues Memphis Minnie
    Guitar Women Vol. 4, All About Jazz

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Kora Bali Toumani Diabaté, Ballaké Sissoko
    New Ancient Strings, Chrysalis
  • To Zion Lauryn Hill and Carlos Santana
    The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Ruffhouse
  • Natty Take Over Justin Hinds and the Dominos
    Jezebel, Island
  • When the Saints Go Marchin' In Eddie Bo
    Our New Orleans, Nonesuch
  • Blackbird Special Delfayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
    Jazz Party, Troubadour Jazz Records
  • Caban Bamboo Highlife Randy Weston
    Music from New African Nations Featuring the Highlife, Capitol
  • Instrumental: Jabula Abdullah Ibrahim
    The Balance, Gearbox Records
  • Yegellé Tezeta Mulatu Astatke
    New York-Addis-London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975, Strut
  • 96 Tears Aretha Franklin
    Aretha Arrives, Atlantic
  • Uncle Bud-Radio Version Boozoo Chavis
    Zydeco Trail Ride with Boozoo Chavis, Maison de Soul
  • Your Lips Olu Dara
    Olu Dara-From Natchez to New York, Atlantic
  • Pata Pata Miriam Makeba
    Pata Pata, !K7 music
  • Instrumental: Bright Mississippi Allen Toussaint
    The Bright Mississippi, Nonesuch
  • Kelya Tabu Ley Rochereau
    The Voice of Lightness, Vol. 1: Congo Classics (1961-1977),
  • Bluesology Modern Jazz Quartet
    Fontessa, Atlantic
  • SEGMENT: Balla Kouyate

    Listen
  • End Bed: Blue Monk McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson
    Manhattan Moods, Blue Note

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 29th, 2022

    MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH US! AMERICAN ROUTES INDEPENDENCE DAY THEN & NOW

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  • June 22nd, 2022

    EARL SCRUGGS & TOM RUSH

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  • June 15th, 2022

    SOUNDS OF FREEDOM: FONTELLA BASS AND FREDDIE HUBBARD

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