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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

JEWS & BLUES

Explore the connection between the wail of the cantor and the slide of a blues note—where jazz and western swing meet the klezmorium. Legendary R&B producer Jerry Wexler recalls working with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and more. Banjo player and author Henry Sapoznik talks about going from Old Time Country back to the music of his roots, klezmer. Plus jazz-inflected western swing, swinging klezmer and more.

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho Sidney Bechet
    Runnin' Wild, Blue Note
  • Rock My Soul Louis Armstrong
    Louis and the Good Book, Universal
  • Joshua Fit the Battle Elvis Presley
    His Hand in Mine, RCA
  • I'm a Woman Peggy Lee
    Peggy Lee Sings Leiber and Stoller, Hip-O Select
  • Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (To Me You Are So Beautiful) Belle Baker
    From Avenue A to the Great White Way: Yiddish & American Popular Song, Columbia
  • The Man I Love Artie Shaw
    The George Gershwin Gold Collection, Déjà vu
  • Samson and Delilah The Barry Sisters and Jan Bart
    Music from the Yiddish Radio Project, Shanachie
  • Instrumental: Sweet and Lowdown George Gershwin
    Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Elektra
  • Prelude #2 George Gershwin
    I Got Rhythm, Smithsonian
  • God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) Randy Newman
    Guilty, Warner Archives
  • Border Song (Holy Moses) Aretha Franklin
    Young, Gifted and Black, Atlantic
  • Exodus Grant Green
    Sunday Morning, Blue Note
  • Instrumental: Hip Hug-Her Booker T. & the M.G.'s
    Rock Instrumental Classics, Vol.4: Soul, Rhino
  • INTERVIEW: Jerry Wexler

    Listen
  • Tipitina Allen Toussaint
    American Routes original recording,

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Gypsy Dave Tarras and the Musiker Brothers
    Tanz!, Epic
  • The Bridegroom Special Sam Medoff and the Yiddish Swing Orchestra
    Music from the Yiddish Radio Project, Shanachie
  • Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho Sidney Bechet
    Runnin' Wild, Blue Note
  • A Bee Gezindt (As Long As You're Healthy) Mildred Bailey
    From Avenue A to the Great White Way: Yiddish & American Popular Song, Columbia
  • Flyin' Home Benny Goodman Sextet
    Benny Goodman: Ken Burns Jazz, Columbia
  • Instrumental: Ot Azoy Klezmer Plus!
    Klezmer Plus! featuring Sid Beckerman & Howie Leess, Flying Fish
  • INTERVIEW: Henry Sapoznik

    Listen
  • Samson and Delilah Blind Gary Davis
    Harlem Street Singer, Prestige/Bluesville
  • How Far Am I From Canaan? The Soul Stirrers featuring Sam Cooke
    Jesus Gave Me Water, Specialty
  • Instrumental: Go Down Moses Grant Green
    Feelin' the Spirit, Blue Note
  • Jezebel The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet
    The Gospel Sound, Columbia/Legacy
  • Lot Wife The Ethiopians
    Reggae Hit the Town, Trojan
  • Let My People Go Steven Bernstein
    Diaspora Soul, Tzadik
  • Jerusalem Steve Earle
    Jerusalem, Artemis
  • Love Minus Zero/No Limit Bob Dylan
    Bringing It All Back Home, Columbia
  • End Bed: Waltz Medley Klezmer Plus!
    Klezmer Plus! featuring Sid Beckerman & Howie Leess, Flying Fish

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