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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM
MUSICAL MEMORIES WITH JOE ELY & ROSCOE ROBINSON
We reach for “mystic chords of memory” with singer-songwriter Joe Ely and gospel/soul man Roscoe Robinson to hear about the ground they’ve covered as veteran touring musicians. Joe starts us off in Lubbock, Texas, where he grew up, and tells of railroading across America, running off with the circus, musical explorations with the Flatlanders and his role in Austin’s Cosmic Cowboy scene. Roscoe, now in his 91st orbit around the sun, remembers his childhood in Dermott, Arkansas, the family’s migration north, traveling the gospel circuit through the Jim Crow South, taking the stage at the Apollo Theater and his life-long spiritual journey. We spin travel tunes from artists’ influences like Buddy Holly, Flaco Jimenez and the Staple Singers; plus, some pre-election reflection songs from Johnny Cash, Lauryn Hill and Keb Mo.
HOUR ONE
- Open Bed: Treat Me Like a Saturday Night Joe Ely
Joe Ely, MCA - Down the Line Buddy Holly and Bob Montgomery
Down the Line/I Wanna Play House With You, Coral - Road Hawg Joe Ely
Full Circle: The Lubbock Tapes, Rack'Em Records - Waiting for a Train Jimmie Rodgers
Blue Yodel No. 4/Waiting for a Train, Victor - Windmills and Water Tanks Joe Ely
Full Circle: the Lubbock Tapes , Rack'Em Records - Waymore's Blues Waylon Jennings
Dreaming My Dreams, RCA Victor - Instrumental: Red River Valley Quebe Sisters
Texas Fiddlers, self-released - Streets of Laredo Marty Robbins
More Greatest Hits, Columbia - Across the Border Line Flaco Jimenez
Partners, Reprise - SEGMENT: Joe Ely
Listen - Instrumental: Lupus #1 Tom Morell and the Time Warp Top Hands
Wolf Tracks, Shanachie - Deep Eddy Blues Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Don't Look for a Heartache, Hightone - Borderless Love The Flatlanders
Hills and Valleys, New West - Standin' at a Big Hotel Joe Ely
Full Circle: the Lubbock Tapes , Rack'Em Records - Dallas Joe Ely
Musta Notta Gotta Lotta, MCA - White Freightliner Blues Joe Ely and Joel Guzman
Live Cactus!, Rack'Em Records - End Bed: San José Snooks Eaglin
Snooks Eaglin with his New Orleans Friends, Sonet
HOUR two
- Open Bed: The Preacher Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith Retrospective, Blue Note - Freedom Highway The Staple Singers
Freedom Highway, Legacy - I Shall Be Released Blind Boys of Alabama
Almost Home, BBOA - SEGMENT: Roscoe Robinson
Listen - Instrumental: The National Anthem: OG Can UC Carla Bley Big Band
Looking for America, Watt - Forgive Them Father Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Ruffhouse - Be Careful How You Vote Sunnyland Slim
Be Careful How You Vote, Earwig - Hard Times Johnny Cash
Unearthed, American Recordings - Once They Banned Imagine Drive-By Truckers
American Band, ATO Records - Instrumental: The House I Live In Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins 1956, Giants of Jazz - I Pity the Poor Immigrant Marion Williams
The New Message, Atlantic - Soy Mexico Americano Los Cenzontles
Raza de Oro, Cenzontles - America the Beautiful Keb Mo
Freedom: Songs From the Heart of America, Columbia/Legacy - A Change Is Gonna Come Terence Trent D'Arby and Booker T. & the MGs
Freedom: Songs From the Heart of America, Sony - Closing Bed: America the Beautiful The Happyland Band
Saints' Paradise: Trombone Shout Bands from the United House of Prayer, Smithsonian Folkways