AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté June 7th, 2023 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté

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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MAKING NEW ORLEANS MUSIC

July 10th, 2019

It’s a two-hour walk through streets of the city as we dive into two great eras of New Orleans music. First, it’s the 1940s and 50s R&B hit factory with studio man Cosimo Matassa, producer, arranger, trumpet player Dave Bartholomew who passed away recently, drummer Earl Palmer and more. We also chat with The>Meters—Art Neville, George Porter, Leo Nocentelli and Zigaboo Modeliste—and we get to the bottom of the bottom, find out what’s in the pocket and get a definition of funk from the four men who continue to dish it out.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Rockin' at Cosimo's Lee Allen
    The Cosimo Matassa Story, Proper
  • I'm in Love Again Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Ain't That a Shame Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Clip: The Beginning
  • Country Boy Dave Bartholomew
    1947-50, Jazz Classics
  • Clip: Stardust
  • Startdust Dave Bartholomew
    1947-50, Jazz Classics
  • Clip: The Studio Band
  • 3x7=21 Jewel King
    The Genius of Dave Bartholomew, EMI
  • Instrumental: Dreaming Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Clip: The Fat Man
  • The Fat Man Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Slippin' and Slidin' Little Richard
    The Specialty Sessions Box, Specialty
  • Clip: Beat
  • Rip It Up Little Richard
    The Specialty Sessions Box, Specialty
  • Clip: I'm Walkin'
  • I'm Walkin' Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Clip: Sound
  • Let the Four Winds Blow Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Instrumental: Blueberry Hill Mose Allison
    Back Country Suite, Prestige
  • Clip: Blueberry Hill
  • Blueberry Hill Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • I'm Gonna be a Wheel Someday Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Down the Road Smiley Lewis
    Shame, Shame, Shame, Bear Family
  • Clip: on Smiley Lewis & Professor Longhair
  • One Night Elvis Presley
    1950s Masters, RCA
  • In the Night Professor Longhair
    New Orleans Piano, Atlantic
  • Clip: Fats Success/Live
  • Blue Monday Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Closing Bed: Rockin' at Cosimo's Lee Allen
    The Cosimo Matassa Story, Proper

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Chicken Strut The Meters
    Funkify Your Life Anthology, Rhino
  • Fiyo on the Bayou The Meters
    Funkify Your Life Anthology, Rhino
  • A Message From the Meters The Meters
    Funkify Your Life Anthology, Rhino
  • Clip: Beginnings
  • Ease Back The Meters
    The Meters, Sundazed
  • Clip: House Band
  • Fortune Teller Benny Spellman
    Fortune Teller - Golden Classics, Collectables
  • Working In a Coal Mine Lee Dorsey
    Wheelin' and Dealin': The Definitive Collection, Arista
  • Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky From Now On Lee Dorsey
    Wheelin' and Dealin': The Definitive Collection, Arista
  • Instrumental: Cissy Strut Rod Piazza
    Bluesman, LMI
  • Clip: Funk
  • I Been Hoodood Dr. John
    In The Right Place, ATCO
  • Sophisticated Cissy The Meters
    The Meters, Sundazed
  • Clip: Cissy Strut
  • Cissy Strut The Meters
    The Meters, Sundazed
  • Clip: Look-Ka-Py-Py
  • Look-Ka-Py-Py The Meters
    Look-Ka-Py-Py, Sundazed
  • Clip: They All Asked For You
  • They All Asked for You The Meters
    Funkify Your Life Vol. 2, Rhino
  • Instrumental: Drums on Fire Donald Harrison Jr.
    Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr. presents The New Sounds of Mardi Gras, FOMP
  • Clip: Mardi Gras Indians / Hey Pocky Way
  • Hey Pocky Way The Meters
    Rejuvenation, Sundazed
  • Here Dey Come Wild Tchoupitoulas
    Wild Tchoupitoulas, Island
  • Clip: The Rolling Stones / Paul McCartney
  • Africa The Meters
    Uptown Rulers! Live on the Queen Mary, Rhino
  • Clip: Breakup
  • Stormy The Meters
    The Meters, Sundazed
  • Clip: Today / Reunions
  • Closing Bed: Cissy Strut (Live) The Meters
    Live Recording from 2005 New Orleans Jazz Fest,

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 7th, 2023

    BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND AND BALLA KOUTATé

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  • May 31st, 2023

    PIANO PEOPLE AND MORE: JASON MORAN & HEATH ALLEN

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  • May 24th, 2023

    MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE 2022 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

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