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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ALTERED STATES: MUSIC AND ELIXIRS

January 23rd, 2002

From Absinthe to Zoloft, American Routes brews a stimulating show about elixirs, enhancers and downright downers. Guests include country star Hank Thompson on performing – and drinking – in the honky-tonks, and British historian James Hughes on altered states and creativity across time and cultures. Partake in music selections from Charlie Parker, Paul Bowles, Ella Fitzgerald and the Grateful Dead.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Smoke, Smoke, Smoke Johnny Bond
    Hillbilly Boogie, Sony
  • Light Up & Listen radio commercial from Doc Watson show
  • Smoke Rings Les Paul & Mary Ford
    All-Time Greatest Hits, Capitol
  • Forty Cups of Coffee Danny Overbea
    Chess Blues Guitar, MCA/Chess
  • Java Jive The Modernaires
    Dinermite, Sony
  • La Cucaracha Orquesta Pajaro Azul
    Tex-Mex Vol.1, Folklyric
  • Marihuana Boogie Lalo Guererro
    Recuerdos, Lalo
  • Instrumental: If You're A Viper Kermit Ruffins
    The Big Butter & Egg Man, Justice
  • If Youse a Viper Rosetta Howard
    The Official Sampler, Official
  • INTERVIEW: James Hughes

    Listen
  • Ko Ko Charlie Parker
    Yardbird Suite, Rhino
  • Instrumental: Smoke Rings Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli
    Nuages, ASV
  • Kickin the Gong Around Cab Calloway
    Slim and Slam,
  • Hong Kong Blues Hoagy Carmichael
    The Classic Hoagy, Smithsonian
  • Prelude for Bernard Suares Irene Herrmann/Paul Bowles
    Sonata, etc…, Koch
  • Bad Liver & a Broken Heart Tom Waits
    Beautiful Maladies, Island
  • Sam Stone John Prine
    Great Days, Rhino
  • Dead Flowers Rolling Stones
    Sticky Fingers, Virgin

HOUR two

  • Stranger in My Own Home Town Elvis Presley
    From Nashville to Memphis Vol 4, RCA
  • Turtle Blues Janis Joplin/ Big Brother & the Holding Company
    Cheap Thrills, Sony
  • Dumb Nirvana
    In Utero, Geffen
  • Better Must Come Delroy Wilson
    Tougher Than Tough, Mango
  • Pusherman Curtis Mayfield
    People Get Ready, Rhino
  • Instrumental: He Loved Him Madly Miles Davis / mixed by Bill Laswell
    Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969-1974, Columbia
  • Round Midnight Miles Davis
    Round About Midnight, Columbia
  • Wackey Dust Chick Webb/Ella Fitzgerald
    Reefer Songs, Jass
  • Cocaine habit blues Memphis Jug Band Victor
    Ruckus Juice and Chittlins:The Great Jugbands,
  • Casey Jones Grateful Dead
    Workingman's Dead, Warner
  • Cocaine Blues Johnny Cash
    Live at Folsom Prison, Sony
  • Instrumental: The Penny Opus No.1 Hank Penny
    Crazy Rhythm: The Standard Transcriptions, Bloodshot
  • INTERVIEW: Hank Thompson Hank Thompson
  • The Drunkard's Room The Louvin Brothers
    Satan is Real, Capitol
  • Lord I've Tried Bill Landford & the Landfordaires
    There Will Be No Sweeter Sound, Okeh

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  • May 24th, 2023

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