American Routes is blues and jazz, gospel and soul, rockabilly and country, Cajun and swamp pop, Tejano, Latin… and beyond. Songs and stories from musicians describe a deep and diverse nation with sounds and styles shared by all Americans. From the bayous to the beltways, from crossroads to crosstown, on interstates and city streets, turn up your radio for the sonic journey!
American Routes—produced in New Orleans since 1998
MLK Day with the Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters
January 15, 2025
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was first shared in words. We’ll hear it in music from the Staple Singers, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Bob Dylan, plus classic jazz, reggae and a new generation of singers: the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Norah Jones and Questlove. Then, songs, rhythms and histories from the Georgia Sea Islands Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters.
NEXT WEEK
True Believers and Hardworking Troubadours: Post-Punk Folksinger, Lee Bains, & Swamp Pop Hero, Tommy McLain
It’s true believers and hardworking troubadours. First, Lee Bains, Birmingham, Alabama’s post-punk folk singer whose songs seek social justice, inclusive humanity and protection of the environs as a sacred quest. Then, octogenarian Louisiana Swamp Pop hero Tommy McLain, who brought his classic ‘60s songs and music mix of country, blues, rock, and gospel to clubs and casinos, now recording with Elvis Costello and touring with Nick Lowe. Plus music from Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, Little Richard and Marcia Ball.
LAST WEEK
New Orleans Traditional Jazz Live with Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band–Jazz Manouche from Christine Tassan et les Imposteures
It’s an American Routes Live session of New Orleans Traditional Jazz with Dr. Michael White, the beloved clarinetist leading the Original Liberty Jazz Band, in concert and conversation. Then, we explore the world of Jazz Manouche and its late leading influence, guitarist Django Reinhardt and his historic recordings with violinist Stepháne Grapelli from the Quintette du Hot Club de France. We also visit with a contemporary women's Jazz Manouche band from Quebec: Christine Tassan et les Imposteures. Plus music influenced by Django Reinhardt from Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and the Hot Club of Cowtown.
Sam Moore by Gage Skidmore
Remembering Sam Moore
Sam Moore, of the soul duo Sam and Dave, passed away on Friday January 10th at age 89. As a ’60s “Soul Man,” he recorded a string of jukebox classics, then pressed through difficult times and emerged with a second career on his own.
You can hear our interview with him here: https://bit.ly/40zu37c
To read more about Sam Moore’s life, click here: https://bit.ly/4akGPK7