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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FRIENDS OF ROBERT JOHNSON

November 28th, 2001

Two hours of music surrounding the forefather of the blues, Robert Johnson. The guitarist and singer is remembered by four other Delta bluesmen: guitarist Johnny Shines rode the rails with Johnson in the 1930s, pianist and guitarist Henry Townsend jammed with him, Robert Junior Lockwood is Johnson’s stepson and the late diddly-bow player Lonnie Pitchford followed in his footsteps. We’ll also hear Johnson tunes in the hands of latter-day artists the Rolling Stones and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Black Ace Black Ace
    I Am The Boss Card in Your Hand, Arhoolie
  • Cross Road Blues Robert Johnson
    The Complete Recordings, Columbia
  • Crossroads Cream
    The Very Best of Cream, Polydor
  • Terraplane Blues Robert Johnson
    King of the Delta Blues, Columbia/Legacy
  • Dynaflow Blues The Johnny Shines Blues Band
    Chicago Blues Today! Vol. 3, Vanguard
  • INTERVIEW: Johnny Shines

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  • Instrumental: Overall Junction Albert King
    Blues Masters: The Very Best of Albert King, Rhino
  • Milk Cow Blues Kokomo Arnold
    The Roots of Robert Johnson, Yazoo
  • Milk Cow Blues Rose Maddox
    America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band, Vol. 1, Arhoolie
  • Milkcow Blues Boogie Elvis Presley
    The Essential 50s masters, RCA
  • Dust My Broom Ike & Tina Turner
    Bold Soul Sister, Hip-O
  • I Believe I'll Go Back Home Clifton Chenier
    King of the Bayous, Arhoolie
  • Walking Blues Bonnie Raitt
    Bonnie Raitt, Warner Brothers
  • Sweet Old Chicago Roosevelt ‘The Honeydripper' Sykes
    Blues By Roosevelt 'The Honeydripper' Sykes, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Instrumental: Memphis Blues Eubie Blake
    Memories of You - from Rare Piano Rolls, Biograph
  • INTERVIEW: Henry Townsend

    Listen
  • Go Ahead Buddy Bill Weldon
    The Roots of Robert Johnson, Yazoo
  • They're Red Hot Robert Johnson
    The Complete Recordings, Columbia
  • They're Red Hot Red Hot Chili Peppers
    The Essential Red Hot Chili Peppers, EMI

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Miles Runs the Hoodoo Down Miles Davis
    Bitches Brew, Columbia
  • Hell Hound On My Trail Robert Johnson
    King of the Delta Blues, Columbia/Legacy
  • Hell Hound On My Trail Cassandra Wilson
    Blue Light 'Til Dawn, Blue Note
  • Preachin' Blues Son House
    Mojo Workin' - Blues for the Next Generation, Columbia/Legacy
  • Love In Vain Robert Johnson
    King of the Delta Blues, Columbia/Legacy
  • Stop Breaking Down Rolling Stones
    Exile On Main Street, Virgin
  • Instrumental: Feelin' Bad Blues Ry Cooder
    Music By Ry Cooder, Warner
  • INTERVIEW: Robert Junior Lockwood

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  • Ramblin' On My Mind Front Range
    Ramblin' On My Mind, Sugar Hill
  • Sitting On Top of the World The Mississippi Sheiks
    The Roots of Robert Johnson, Yazoo
  • Come On In My Kitchen Robert Johnson
    King of the Delta Blues, Columbia/Legacy
  • Instrumental: Elmer's Blues Lonnie Johnson with Elmer Snowden
    Blues & Ballads, Bluesville
  • INTERVIEW: Lonnie Pitchford

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  • Walkin' Blues Muddy Waters
    Rollin' Stone, MCA
  • Crossroads Cowboy Junkies
    Whites Off Earth Now!, RCA
  • End Bed: Cross Road Blues Marcus Roberts
    Blues For the New Millennium, Columbia

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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