SUPPORT GREAT STORYTELLING
We rely on your support to remain on air and online. Your contribution helps us bring you interviews with great American artists and the carefully curated music mix that you’ve enjoyed over the years.
Donate
AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM
CIRCUS & MARDI GRAS
Step right up for our Greatest Show on Earth as we go to the circus in songs and sounds. Carousels, sideshows and the Big Top with music from Chet Baker, Smokey Robinson and Patsy Cline. We’ll also talk with retired circus workers in the wintering grounds of Sarasota, Florida. And do the Mardi Gras mambo to a parade of sounds celebrating Fat Tuesday.
HOUR ONE
- Open Bed: Lil Egypt (Ying-Yang) Coasters
50 Coastin' Classics, Atlantic/Rhino - Life Sly & the Family Stone
Anthology, Epic - Sideshow by the Seashore Luna
Penthouse, Elektra - Martha's Vineyard carousel
- Honky Tonk Merry Go Round Patsy Cline
First Recordings, Rhino - Circus in Rhythm Lester Young
Master Takes With Count Basie/Lester Young, Savoy Jazz - Laszlo the Great
Circus Spectacular, London - Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (early takes ) The Beatles
The Beatles Anthology 2, Capitol - Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, EMI - Spinning Wheel Chet Baker
Talkin' Verve: Groovy!, Verve - Carnival Natalie Merchant
Tigerlily, Elektra - Instrumental: Carnival Mose Allison
Down Home Piano, Prestige - INTERVIEW: Alva Johnson and Jackie Leclaire of the Ringling Brothers Circus
- Tears of a Clown Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Anthology, Motown - Tears of a Clown The Beat
This Are Two Tone, Chrysalis - Circus March Aaron Copland
Orchestral Works/Ormandy/Previn, Sony Classical - Before the Parade Passes By Carol Channing
Star Spangled Rhythm, Smithsonian Collection
HOUR two
- Joe Avery's Piece The Young Tuxedo Brass Band
Sounds of New Orleans Streets: Funeral & Parade Music, Atlantic - New Suit Wild Magnolias
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mardi Gras - Olodum, a Banda do Pelo Olodum
Sounds of Bahai Vol. 2, Sound Wave - Mardi Gras in New Orleans Professor Longhair
New Orleans Piano, Atlantic - Manteca Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band
A Carnival of Cuban Music, Rounder - Instrumental: Mardi Gras Zydeco Nathan and Cha Chas
Your Momma Don't Know, Rounder - La Guignolee Charlie Pashia & Joe Politte
I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough: Traditional Music of the Ozark Region, Missouri Friends of the Folk Arts - Mardi Gras Song Coteau
Highly Seasoned Cajun Music, Rounder - Notre Dame de 7 Doleurs
Caribbean Revels - Haitian Rara & Dominican Gaga, Smithsonian Folkways - Do Whatcha Wanna Pt. 3 Rebirth Brass Band
New Orleans Party Classics, Rhino - Instrumental: Second Line, Pt. 1
- INTERVIEW: The Dixie Cups
- Iko-Iko The Dixie Cups
The Red Bird Story, Charly - Two Way Pocky Way Indians of the Nation
United We Stand, Divided We Fall, Indians of the Nation - Indian Red Young Guardians of the Flames
New Way Pockey Way, First Tribe - Mama Roux Dr. John
Mos Scocious, Rhino - Mardi Gras '99 All That
The Whop Boom Bam, Upstart - Take Me to the Mardi Gras Paul Simon
There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Warner Brothers - End Bed: The Day After Mardi Gras Lakefront Loungers
Mardi Gras Parade, GBH