AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté May 18th, 2022 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté

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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WADE IN THE WATER: SONGS AND STORIES OF THE RIVER

May 16th, 2012

As the muddy Mississippi winds its way past us in New Orleans, we’re reminded of the power and place of these waterways in American culture. First, we seek the source of the mighty river at the headwaters in Minnesota. Then listen to stories of steamboat captains, riverboats and rural fisherman. And learn about New Orleans own relation to the river with Tulane professor Richard Campanella. Plus river tales from Captain Doc Hawley, Aaron Neville and Al Green.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Wade in the Water Booker T & the MGs
    Soul Men, Stax
  • Green River Creedence Clearwater Revival
    Chronicle, Fantasy
  • SEGMENT: Mississippi Headwaters at Lake Itasca

    Listen
  • Excerpt: Wade in the Water Empire Jubilee Quartet
    Take Me to the Water, Dust-to-Digital
  • Excerpt: At the River Tennessee Mountain Singer
    Take Me to the Water, Dust-to-Digital
  • Burn On Randy Newman
    Sail Away, Warner Bros.
  • The Flood Blues Sippie Wallace
    Sippie Wallace Vol. 2: 1925-1945, Document
  • I've Got the Big River Blues Delmore Brothers
    Brown's Ferry Blues, County
  • Big River Johnny Cash
    The Essential Johnny Cash, Columbia/ Legacy
  • Get Down, River The Bottle Rockets
    The Mississippi River of Song, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Instrumental: Deep River Charlie Haden & Hank Jones
    Come Sunday, Universal Music Group
  • The Lure of the South Mamie Smith
    Stars of the Apollo, Columbia
  • SEGMENT: Belle of Louisville Engineer Jim McCoy, and Fishing on Ohio

    Listen
  • Fishing Blues Henry Thomas
    Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways
  • River Runs Deep JJ Cale
    Naturally, Universal
  • Instrumental: Ol' Man River Kenny Dorham Quintet
    A Jazz Hour With The Kenny Dorham Quintet, Intermusic
  • River's Invitation Percy Mayfield
    Creole Kings of New Orleans, Specialty
  • Long Gone Lonesome Blues Hank Williams
    The Original Singles Collection, Polydor
  • The River Bruce Springsteen
    The River, Columbia
  • Rivers of Babylon The Melodians
    The Harder They Come, Island
  • CLIP: Al Green
  • Take Me to the River Al Green
    Anthology, Hi
  • End Bed: Wade in the Water Ramsey Lewis
    Chess Soul - A Decade Of Chicago’s Finest, MCA/Chess

HOUR two

  • The Julia Belle Swain John Hartford
    Mark Twang, Flying Fish
  • SEGMENT: Richard Campanella

    Listen
  • God's River Emmett Miller
    The Minstrel Man From Georgia, Roots and Blues
  • CLIP: Dave Bartholomew
  • Goin' to the River Fats Domino
    Out of New Orleans, Bear Family
  • Instrumental: Moon River King Curtis
    Blow Man, Blow!, Bear Family
  • SEGMENT: Riverboat Captain Doc Hawley

    Listen
  • CLIP: Dr. Michael White
  • When the Mighty Mississippi Sleeps Dr. Michael White
    Dancing in the Sky, Basin Street
  • CLIP: Eden Brent
  • Darkness on the Delta Eden Brent
    Mississippi Number One, Yellow Dog
  • Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta Duke Ellington
    Duke Ellington: New Orleans Suite, Atlantic
  • Instrumental: Blue Creek James Carter
    Conversin' with the Elders, Atlantic
  • Goin' to Sit Down On the Banks of the River Blind Gary Davis
    Harlem Street Singer, Fantasy
  • Harlem River Blues Justin Townes Earle
    Harlem River Blues, Bloodshot
  • CLIP: Aaron Neville
  • A Change is Gonna Come Aaron Neville with the Neville Brothres
    The Very Best of, A&M
  • Many Rivers to Cross Jimmy Cliff
    The Harder They Come, Island
  • Wide River to Cross Levon Helm
    Dirt Farmer, Vanguard
  • End Bed: Bright Mississippi Allen Toussaint
    Bright Mississippi, Nonesuch

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 18th, 2022

    BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND & BALLA KOUYATé

    Listen
  • May 11th, 2022

    BREAKING OUT: BRITISH BLUES TO NEW ORLEANS BOUNCE

    Listen
  • May 4th, 2022

    KINGPINS OF THE GULF COAST: RODNEY CROWELL & DR. JOHN

    Listen
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