It’s American Routes Live in concert and conversation with musicians from rural Cajun and New Orleans Creole life. Singer-songwriter Zachary Richard has been called the most American of French songwriters and the most French of American songwriters. We’ll visit with him and his band live at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana for a walk through his nearly 50 year catalog of songs. Then Creole jazz banjoman Don Vappie updates musical history while keeping the New Orleans traditional sound alive, live from Marigny Studios near the French Quarter.

We’ll go up the Mississippi to another great river city of music: Memphis. Known for rhythm & blues, gospel, soul and roots, rock n roll— and landmark record labels: Sun, Stax and Hi Records. On this visit, we’ll listen to the work of Hi Records producer/arranger/trumpeter Willie Mitchell and talk to members of the Hi Rhythm section: Rev. Charles Hodges and Archie “Hubbie” Turner, plus an archival conversation with the man with the most hits for Hi Records, Al Green. Then more memories of those days with old school singer and prolific songwriter Don Bryant, who got his start with Willie Mitchell and is now back in the studio cutting records with lots of soul.

In an archival classic, we spend time with two eclectic NYC-based musicians who mix country with jazz and other traditions. Multi-instrumentalist Andy Statman comes from a family steeped in Jewish musical traditions, but got the bluegrass bug playing with David Grisman and Tony Trischka. We’ll talk about his explorations of bluegrass, klezmer, free jazz and duets with tea kettles. Then singer and pianist Norah Jones, known for her own personal stamp on jazz, shares the Texas native’s country side of life in her work with The Little Willies. Plus lots of “citified” country songs and downhome urban tunes.

To many pop music audiophiles, the words “Pet Sounds” might bring to mind the Beach Boys. But for us, it means the songs and sounds of our pets and other animal affections. Dogs and cats reign as we take your requests and add our best picks, including a few birds, a mule or two, and even monkeys. We’ll also visit with an anthropologist whose best friends include primates named Miles, Monk, Bartok, Berg, Coltrane, and Stravinsky. Plus music by Bob Dylan, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bonnie Raitt and George Clinton.