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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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

LONE STAR STATEMENT

January 30th, 2002

Rockabilly, Western Swing, jazz, blues, Tejano, Cajun, Czech – the big sounds of Texas are incredibly diverse. American Routes explores that vast terrain visiting with Bandera, TX singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen, Tejano accordion master Mingo Saldivar, and the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills, who is remembered by his fiddler Johnny Gimble, daughter Rosetta Wills, Bill Malone, Ray Price and Marle Haggard. Other musical Texans on tap include Illinois Jacquet, Townes van Zandt and T-Bone Walker.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • San Antonio Rose Bob Wills
    Country Music Hall of Fame, MCA
  • (Is Anybody Going To) San Antone Doug Sahm
    The Best of Doug Sahm & the Sir Douglas Quintet 1968-1975, Mercury
  • INTERVIEW: Mingo Saldivar

    Listen
  • He is a Tejano Texas Tornadoes
    Zone of Our Own, Reprise
  • Zydeco State Jabo
    Texas Prince of Zydeco, Maison de Soul
  • Yes, Baby Big Mama Thornton
    Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings, MCA
  • Instrumental: Deep in the Heart of Texas Boogie Albert Ammons and His Rhythm Kings
    Blues, Boogie, & Bop: The 1940s Mercury Sessions Box,
  • Blues Come To Texas Lil' Son Jackson
    Blues Come To Texas, Arhoolie
  • Deep Elm Blues The Lone Star Cowboys
    Hillbilly Blues, ASV
  • SEGMENT: Bob Wills

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Seventh and Union Hank Garland
    Guitar Player Presents Legends of Guitar - Country Vol.2, Rhino
  • Lean Baby Illinois Jacquet
    Flying Home: Best of the Verve Years, Verve
  • Gonna Make My Home Where I Hang My Hat Johnny Copeland
    Gulf Coast Guitars, Music Club
  • Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) Janis Joplin
    Love, Janis, Columbia/Legacy
  • Texas Flood Larry Davis & His Band
    Blues Masters Vol.6: Blues Originals, Rhino

HOUR two

  • Broke Down South of Dallas Junior Brown
    12 Shades of Brown, Curb
  • Midnight Shift Buddy Holly
    The Collection, MCA
  • Slow Rollin' Low Waylon Jennings
    This Time, RCA
  • Jole Blon Waylon Jennings
    The Journey; Destiny's Child, Bear Family
  • Austin Special Harry Choates
    Louisiana Cajun Music, Vol. 4, Arhoolie
  • Instrumental: Happy Trails
    The Warner Western Instrumental Series Vol.1, Warner
  • Barbara Polka Adolph Hofner
    The Texas-Czech, Bohemian & Moravian Bands, Arhoolie
  • Aunque Me Odies Lydia Mendoza
    Borderlands: Conjunto to Chicken Scratch, Folkways
  • Can I Sleep In Your Arms Willie Nelson
    Red Headed Stranger, Columbia
  • INTERVIEW: Robert Earl Keen

    Listen
  • Bandera Willie Nelson
    Red Headed Stranger, Columbia
  • No Lonesome Tune Townes Van Zandt
    The Late, Great, Townes Van Zandt, Tomato
  • Blue Wind Blew The Flatlanders
    Poet: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt, Pedernales
  • Match Box Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson
    Blues Masters Vol. 3: Texas Blues, Rhino
  • T-Bone Blues T-Bone Walker
    Blues Masters: The Very Best Of T-Bone Walker, Rhino
  • Lone Star Norah Jones
    Come Away With Me, Blue Note
  • Waltz Across Texas Ernest Tubb
    Retrospective, Vol. 2, MCA

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 7th, 2023

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

    Listen
  • May 31st, 2023

    PIANO PEOPLE AND MORE: JASON MORAN & HEATH ALLEN

    Listen
  • May 24th, 2023

    MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE 2022 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

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