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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

WADE IN THE WATER: SONGS AND STORIES OF THE RIVER

As the muddy Mississippi winds its way past us in New Orleans, we’re reminded of the power and place of these waterways in American culture. First, we seek the source of the mighty river at the headwaters in Minnesota. Then listen to stories of steamboat captains, riverboats and rural fisherman. And learn about New Orleans own relation to the river with Tulane professor Richard Campanella. Plus river tales from Captain Doc Hawley, Aaron Neville and Al Green.

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: "Wade in the Water" Booker T & the MGs
    Soul Men, Stax
  • Green River Creedence Clearwater Revival
    Chronicle , Fantasy
  • SEGMENT: Mississippi Headwaters at Lake Itasca

    Listen
  • excerpt: "Wade in de Water" Empire Jubilee Quartet
    Take Me to the Water, Dust-to-Digital
  • excerpt: "At the River" Tennessee Mountain Singers
    Take Me to the Water, Dust-to-Digital
  • "Burn On" Randy Newman
    Sail Away, Warner Bros.
  • "The Flood Blues" Sippie Wallace
    Sippie Wallace Vol. 2 1925-1945, Document
  • "I've Got the Big River Blues" Delmore Brothers
    Brown's Ferry Blues, County
  • "Big River" Johnny Cash
    The Essential Johnny Cash, Columbia/Legacy
  • "Get Down, River" The Bottle Rockets
    The Mississippi River of Song, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Instrumental: "Deep River" Charlie Haden & Hank Jones
    Come Sunday, Universal Music Group
  • "The Lure of the South" Mamie Smith
    Stars of the Apollo, Columbia
  • SEGMENT: Belle of Louisville Engineer Jim McCoy, and Fishing on Ohio

    Listen
  • "Fishing Blues" Henry Thomas
    Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways
  • "River Runs Deep" JJ Cale
    Naturally, Universal
  • Instrumental: "Ol' Man River" Kenny Dorham Quintet
    A Jazz Hour With THe Kenny Dorham Quintet, Intermusic
  • "River's Invitation" Percy Mayfield
    Creole Kings of New Orleans, Specialty
  • "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" Hank Williams
    The Original Singles Collection, Polydor
  • "The River" Bruce Springsteen
    The River, Columbia
  • "Rivers of Babylon" The Melodians
    The Harder They Come, Island
  • CLIP: Al Green
  • "Take Me to the River" Al Green
    Anthology, Hi
  • End Bed: "Wade in the Water" Ramsey Lewis
    Chess Soul- A Decade of Chicago's Finest, MCA/Chess

HOUR two

  • "The Julia Belle Swain" John Hartford
    Mark Twang, Flying Fish
  • SEGMENT: Richard Campanella

    Listen
  • "God's River" Emmett Miller
    The Minstrel Man from Georgia, Roots and Blues
  • CLIP: Dave Bartholomew
  • "Goin' to the River" Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Instrumental: "Moon River" King Curtis
    Blow Man, Blow!, Bear Family
  • SEGMENT: Captain Doc Hawley

    Listen
  • CLIP: Dr. Michael White
  • "When the Mighty Mississippi Sleeps" Dr. Michael White
    Dancing in the Sky, Basin Street
  • CLIP: Eden Brent
  • "Darkness on the Delta" Eden Brent
    Mississippi Number One, Yellow Dog Records
  • "Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta" Duke Ellington
    Duke Ellington: New Orleans Suite, Atlantic
  • Instrumental: "Blue Creek" James Carter
    Conversin' with the Elders, Atlantic
  • "Goin' to Sit Down on the Banks of the River" Blind Gary Davis
    Harlem Street Singer , Fantasy
  • "Harlem River Blues" Justin Townes Earle
    Harlem River Blues, Bloodshot
  • CLIP: Aaron Neville
  • "A Change is Gonna Come" Aaron Neville with the Neville Brothers
    The Very Best of, A&M
  • "Many Rivers to Cross" Jimmy Cliff
    The Harder They Come, Island
  • "Wide River to Cross" Levon Helm
    Dirt Farmer, Vanguard
  • End Bed: "Bright Mississippi" Allen Toussaint
    The Bright Mississippi, Nonesuch

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