AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté May 18th, 2022 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté

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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WAY OUT WEST

January 26th, 2000

Saddle up for a musical romp across mountains and valleys, deserts and and plains as we “cross the deserts fair, and breathe the mountain air.” We’ll visit with cowboy and Indian poets, meet the inhabitants of a movie set ghost town, and hear music from Sonny Rollins, Judy Collins, Aaron Copland and Patsy Montana.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Big Balls in Cowtown Bob Wills & Texas Playboys
    Hall of Fame, MCA
  • Cow Cow Boogie Ella Mae Morse
    Jumpin' Like Mad, Capitol
  • Crooked Trail to Holbrook Slim Critchlow
    Cowboy Songs, Arhoolie
  • I'm A Cowboy Danny Barker
    Save the Bones,
  • Hey Cowboy Lee Hazelwood
    Cowboy in Sweden, Smells Like Records
  • SEGMENT: GHOST TOWN/MOVIE SET
  • Music Bed: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Ennio Morricone
    A Fistful of Film Music, Rhino
  • Instrumental: The Open Prairie Again London Symphony Orchestra
    He Got Game: The Music of Aaron Copland, Sony
  • Mexican Dances New York Philharmonic
    Bernstein Century: Appalachian Spring, Sony
  • Billy the Kid Marty Robbins
    Ridin' West Vol.2, Sony
  • Adios Agelita Rivas Las Rancheritas
    Tejano Roots: The Women, Arhoolie
  • I'm an Old Cowhand The Sons of the Pioneers
    Songs of the West, Rhino
  • I'm an Old Cowhand Sonny Rollins
    Way Out West, Fantasy
  • Cowboys to Girls The Intruders
    Beg, Scream & Shout, Rhino
  • Instrumental: I'm an Old Cowhand Jimmy Smith
    Ultimate Jimmy Smith, Verve
  • SEGMENT: Elizabeth Ebert
  • Coyote Joni Mitchell
    Hejira, Warner
  • Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson
    Red Headed Stranger, Columbia

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: The Magnificent Seven Al Caiola
    Songs of the West, Rhino
  • The West Ain't What it Used to be Carson Robinson & His Pioneers
    Howdy, ASV
  • I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart Marcia Ball
    Circuit Queen, Polydor
  • I Left My Sugar (In Salt Lake City) Peggy Lee
    Blues Cross Country, Capitol
  • Along the Navajo Trail Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Oklahoma Hills Hank Thompson
    Hillbilly Fever Vol. 4, Rhino
  • Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' Alfred Drake
    Star Spangled Rhythm, Smithsonian
  • Instrumental: Water Night Red Thunder
    Makoce Wakan, Eagle Thunder Records
  • SEGMENT: Hank Real Bird

    Listen
  • Music Bed: Moonlight Dance Robert Tree Cody
    Dreams From the Grandfather, Canyon
  • Glitter Nights Geraldine Barney
    Heartbeat, Smithsonian
  • Unknown Legend Neil Young
    Harvest Moon, Geffen
  • Instrumental: Cortez the Killer Neil Young
    Decade, Reprise
  • When I Was a Cowboy Lead Belly
    Goodnight Irene, Rykodisc
  • Ragtime Cowboy Joe Foy Willing & the Riders of the Purple Sage
    Songs of the West, Rhino
  • Blood on the Saddle Tex Ritter
    Rebels & Outlaws, Capitol
  • Take Me Back to My Boots & Saddle Screamin' Jay Hawkins
    I Put a Spell on You, Collectables
  • Office Cowboy David Byrne
    Rei Momo, Warner
  • SEGMENT: HARRY TAYLOR
  • Music Bed: "Texas Two Step Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
    Country Music Hall of Fame Series, MCA
  • Happy Trails Roy Rogers & Dale Evans
    Songs of the West, Rhino

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 18th, 2022

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

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  • May 11th, 2022

    BREAKING OUT: BRITISH BLUES TO NEW ORLEANS BOUNCE

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  • May 4th, 2022

    KINGPINS OF THE GULF COAST: RODNEY CROWELL & DR. JOHN

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