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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SUMMERTIME BLUES/BACK TO THE BEACH

July 11th, 2001

Get out of your summer funk by hearing some cool blues live in the studio with Mississippi’s Big Jack Johnson on guitar. And keep cool in conversation with elder dudes of the California surf scene regarding the aesthetics of their sport and the music that goes with it. Also beach-wear and music from Belize’s reef islands, and songs that keep an ear on summer.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Bulldog The Firballs
    Cowabunga!, Rhino
  • The Tide is High The Paragons
    Roots of Reggae Vol.2: Rock Steady, Rhino
  • Sea of Love Katie Webster
    Katie Webster, Flyright
  • Sea of Love Cat Power
    The Covers Record, Matador
  • Summertime Doc Watson
    Elementary Doctor Watson!, Poppy
  • Summertime Sidney Bechet
    The Best of Sidney Bechet, Blue Note
  • Instrumental: Since I Met You Baby Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers
    Roots Stew, MC
  • INTERVIEW: Big Jack Johnson

    Listen
  • You Are My Sunshine Carl McVoy
    Memphis Rocks: Rockabilly in Memphis 1954-1968, Smithsonian
  • Summertime Blues Eddie Cochran
    Somethin' Else: The Fine Lookin' Hits of Eddie Cochran, Razor & Tie
  • The Sun is Shining Hound Dog Taylor
    Genuine Houserocking Music, Alligator
  • Instrumental: Baja The Astronauts
    Cowabunga!, Rhino
  • SEGMENT: Wind surfers in San Diego
  • Surf Medley Junior Brown
    Semi Crazy, Curb
  • Honolulu March Sol Hoopii
    Master of the Hawaiian Guitar Vol.2, Rounder
  • Mahaka Waves Screamin' Jay Hawkins
    Spellbound! 1955-74, Bear Family

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Over the Waves Dr. Michael White
    A Song For George Lewis, Basin Street
  • By the Beautiful Sea Spike Jones
    The Spike Jones Anthology: Musical Depreciation Revue, Rhino
  • Coney Island The Barry Sisters
    Kosher Classics, RCA
  • Rosa Maria Flaco Jimenez
    Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio, Arhoolie
  • Summertime Mongo Santamaria
    Skin on Skin: The Mongo Santamaria Anthology, Rhino
  • Summertime Billy Stewart
    Bar-B-Que Soul-a-Bration!, Rhino
  • Instrumental: Jungle Flower Martin Denny
    Exotica!, Rhino
  • Postcard Belize beach Shark story by Judy Zeck
  • Blue Deep Sea Blues Blue Lu Barker
    Blue Lu Barker 1938-1939, Classics
  • How Deep is the Ocean Lonnie Johnson
    Complete Folkways Recordings, Folkways
  • It's Too Hot for Words Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday Story Vol II, Columbia
  • In the Heat of the Night Ray Charles
    Uh Huh: His Greatest Hits, DCC
  • Instrumental: Hastings Street Boogie John Lee Hooker
    Graveyard Blues, Specialty
  • Ground Hog Blues John Lee Hooker
    The Complete ‘50s Chess Recordings, MCA/Chess
  • I'll Never Get Out of These Blues Alive John Lee Hooker
    Live at the Café Au Go-Go (And Soledad Prison), MCA
  • That Lucky Old Sun Willie Nelson
    The Sound In Your Mind, Columbia
  • Saturday Sun Nick Drake
    Five Leaves Left, Hannibal
  • Groovin Booker T & the MGs
    Complete Stax/Volt Singles: 1959-1968, Stax
  • Place in the Sun David Isaacs
    Tighten Up Vols 1 & 2, Trojan
  • Sea of Love John Fahey
    Return of the Repressed: The Anthology, Rhino

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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