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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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

FROM BACKROADS TO BACKATOWN: DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS AND TROMBONE SHORTY

October 19th, 2016

Follow American Routes as we travel the back roads for some new Southern sounds. The Drive-By Truckers have been up and down the highways since the mid-90s, delivering their unique mix of old-fashioned storytelling and rock ‘n’ roll, between stops in their hometowns of Muscle Shoals, AL and Athens, GA. We sit down with the band in uptown New Orleans to learn more about their journey in music. Then we head backatown to catch up with New Orleans’ own Troy Andrews, a.k.a. Trombone Shorty, to hear about how he mixes trad jazz, rock and soul to create ‘Superfunkrock.’

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: She Breaks Booker T. and the Drive-by Truckers
    Potato Hole, Anti
  • Ode to Billy Joe Tammy Wynette
    Take Me To Your World-I Don't Want to Play House, Koch
  • You Are My Sunshine Ray Charles
    The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986, Rhino
  • Tell Mama Etta James
    The Muscle Shoals Sound, Rhino
  • Mama Don't Like My Man Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
    I Learned the Hard Way, Daptone
  • Thank You Mama, Thank You Papa Dixie Cups
    Best of the Dixie Cups, Laserlight
  • Instrumental: Let Me Know Hank Jones
    The Talented Touch/Porgy and Bess, Okra-Tone
  • You're the Kind of Trouble Holmes Brothers
    Feed My Soul, Alligator
  • I Walk the Line Johnny Cash
    Johnny Cash: The Legend, Columbia
  • Kinky Hypocrite Drive-by Truckers
    American Band, ATO
  • Eight Men, Four Women O.V. Wright
    The Soul of O.V. Wright, MCA
  • Guilty Randy Newman
    Good Old Boys, Reprise
  • The Last Time Bettye LaVette
    The Scene of the Crime, Anti
  • Instrumental: A Hunk of Funk Gene Dozier and the Brotherhood
    The Minit Records Story, EMI
  • SEGMENT: Drive-by Truckers

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  • Alabama Neil Young
    Harvest, Reprise
  • I'll Take You There The Staple Singers
    The Muscle Shoals Sound, Rhino
  • Tipitina Allen Toussaint
    American Routes Original Recording,

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: In the 6th Trombone Shorty
    Backatown, Verve
  • Music Goes Round and Round Ella Fitzgerald
    Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!, Verve
  • Big Ten Inch Record Bull Moose Jackson
    Risque Rhythm: Nasty 50s R&B, Rhino
  • I've Got the Blues for You Al Collins Orchestra
    The Best of Ace Records: The R&B Hits, Scotti Bros.
  • Trombone Cholly Bessie Smith
    The Essential Bessie Smith, Columbia
  • West End Blues Louis Armstrong
    Jazzin' the Blues, Forlane
  • Instrumental: South Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band
    The Swing Era: Kid Ory, The Best of Jazz
  • I Got Mine Kermit Ruffins
    Livin' A Treme Life, Basin Street
  • Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Part 1 Jesse Hill
    The Minit Records Story, EMI
  • Heart of Steel Irma Thomas & Galactic
    Ya-Ka-May, Anti
  • SEGMENT: Trombone Shorty

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  • Instrumental: Flowing River Bennie Green
    Trombone By Three, Prestige
  • Willie Baby Willie Colon
    The Player, Fania
  • Wooly Bully Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
    The Best of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, Rhino
  • Shout Bamalama Otis Redding & the Pinetoppers
    Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding, Rhino
  • Salt of the Earth Bettye LaVette
    Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, Anti
  • America Andre Williams
    That's All I Need, Bloodshot
  • End Bed: Egg Radio Bill Frisell
    Gone, Just Like A Train, Nonesuch

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 18th, 2022

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

    Listen
  • May 11th, 2022

    BREAKING OUT: BRITISH BLUES TO NEW ORLEANS BOUNCE

    Listen
  • May 4th, 2022

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

    Listen
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