Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock joins us to talk about keeping his hardcore jazz credentials while breaking the pop barrier with “Watermelon Man.” Hancock recalls famous associations with Miles and more, including those on his recent Record of the Year, River: the Joni Letters, a collection of Joni Mitchell tunes. Plus the four faces of New Orleans’ Mount Rushmore—Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril—the Neville Brothers. Since 1954, when Brother Art hit with the ultimate carnival classic “Mardi Gras Mambo,” the Nevilles have been on the scene, solo or as a group. We’ll hear their legacy of soul, funk and R & B as the brothers tell us how it all came to pass, and how the legacy lives on in the next generation with Ivan and Ian Neville.

J.J. Cale came up in the clubs of Tulsa, Oklahoma playing everything from Western Swing to Rock n’ Roll. He even wrote songs that became hits for his friend Eric Clapton. But it was in the recording studio where he found his true calling. We’ll talk with J.J. about his career as a guitar man, songwriter and studio wizard. Then we visit with up-and-coming Creole fiddler and accordionist Cedric Watson and learn about his journey within the world of French and Caribbean music.

Think all the glamour is in Hollywood? This week on American Routes we’re going to the movies. John Sayles, writer-director of such classic films as “Lonestar” and “Matewan” talks about how he uses music to evoke emotion. Quebequois director Andre Gladu shares his documentary vision and stories of following music along the Mississippi and French Louisiana. Plus composer Thomas Newman takes us behind the scenes of Altman’s “The Player,” Disney’s “Wall-E” and more.