AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Kouyaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Kouyaté June 7th, 2023 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and 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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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

STREET BEATS WITH DJ FONTANA

April 15th, 1998

Street beats from tap to rap, blues, boogie and soul, surf to jazz… as well as a chat with drummer D. J. Fontana, the man who kept time for Elvis Presley.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: The Big Beat Fats Domino
    They Call Me The Fat Man..., EMI/Imperial
  • My Feet Can't Fail Me Now The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
    Kickin' Some Brass, Shanachie
  • Willie and the Hand Jive Johnny Otis
    Dancing at the Nick at Nightclub, 550 Music
  • Doin' the New Low Down Bill Bojangles Robinson
    Stars of the Apollo Theater, Columbia
  • Get Rhythm Johnny Cash
    The Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983, Columbia
  • Cecilia Simon & Garfunkel
    Old Friends, Columbia/Legacy
  • Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) Sly & the Family Stone
    Greatest Hits, Epic
  • Rockin' Pneumonia Huey "Piano" Smith
    Having A Good Time With Huey "Piano" Smith & His Clowns, West Side
  • Berta Big Louisiana, Rev. Rogers & Roosevelt Charles
    Prison Worksongs, Arhoolie
  • Chain Gang Sam Cooke
    The Man and His Music, RCA
  • Workin' in a Coal Mine Lee Dorsey
    Golden Classics, Collectables
  • INTERVIEW: D. J. Fontana
  • Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley
    Elvis - the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the Complete '50s Masters, RCA
  • That's Alright Mama Elvis Presley
    Elvis - the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the Complete '50s Masters, RCA
  • (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care Elvis Presley
    Elvis - the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the Complete '50s Masters, RCA
  • Hound Dog Elvis Presley
    Elvis - the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the Complete '50s Masters, RCA
  • Taxi Bring In Da' Noise, Bring In Da' Funk
    Original Broadway Cast, RCA Victor
  • Hold On Sam & Dave
    The Very Best of Sam & Dave, Rhino
  • Cissy Strut The Meters
    The Very Best of the Meters, Rhino
  • Flea-ridden Sheep Dog Carl Stalling
    The Carl Stalling Project Volume 2, Warner Brothers
  • William Tell Overture Spike Jones
    Musical Depreciation Reviue - the Spike Jones Anthology, Rhino
  • Suzie Q Dale Hawkins
    Oh! Suzie Q - the Best of Dale Hawkins, Chess/MCA
  • Big Noise from Winnetka Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats
    South Rampart Street Parade, Conifer

HOUR two

  • Pulse Henry Cowell
    Kroumata Percussion Ensemble - Cage, Cowell, etc., Grammofon
  • Grazing in the Grass Hugh Masekela
    Rock Instrumental Classics - Vol. 4, Soul, Rhino
  • Yayabo Orquesta Riverside
    Cuba Classics 2 - Dancing With the Enemy, Luaka Bop/Warner Brothers
  • Evil Ways Santana
    Viva Santana!, Columbia
  • The Wedge Dick Dale
    Dick Dale Anthology, Rhino
  • I'm Waiting for the Man The Velvet Underground
    The Best of The Velvet Underground - Words and Music of Lou Reed, Verve
  • Bo Diddley Bo Diddley
    Bo Diddley, Chess/MCA
  • Not Fade Away Buddy Holly
    Greatest Hits, MCA
  • Little Maggie Ricky Skaggs
    Bluegrass Rules, Rounder
  • J'ai fait tout le tour du pays Jimmy Peters & Ring Dance Singers
    Louisiana Cajun & Creole Music 1934 - The Lomax Recordings, Swallow
  • Zydeco Sont Pas Sale Clifton Chenier
    60 Minutes with the King of Zydeco, Arhoolie
  • Super Bad James Brown & the JB's
    Star Time, Polydor
  • St. James Infirmary Chuck Brown w/ A la Carte Brass and Percussion
    Go-Go and Gumbo, Satchmo and Soul, Wildchild
  • Longhair's Blues-Rhumba Professor Longhair
    New Orleans Piano, Atlantic Jazz
  • Lonesome Road Dean Elliot & His Big Band
    Ultra Lounge, Capitol
  • I Got Rhythm Fats Waller
    Valentine Stomp, RCA Victor
  • End Bed: Limehouse Blues Buddy Rich & Max Roach
    Rich Versus Roach, Mercury

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 7th, 2023

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

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  • May 31st, 2023

    PIANO PEOPLE AND MORE: JASON MORAN & HEATH ALLEN

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  • May 24th, 2023

    MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE 2022 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

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