American Routes

Series produced by American Routes

Series image

American Routes is a weekly two-hour public radio program produced in New Orleans, presenting a broad range of American music — blues and jazz, gospel and soul, old-time country and rockabilly, Cajun and zydeco, Tejano and Latin, roots rock and pop, avant-garde and classical. The show explores the shared musical and cultural threads in these American styles and genres of music and how they are distinguished.

The program also presents documentary features and artist interviews. Our conversations include Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, B.B. King, Dr. John, Dave Brubeck, Abbey Lincoln, Elvis Costello, Ray Charles, Randy Newman, McCoy Tyner, Lucinda Williams, Rufus Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others. Join us as we ride legendary trains, or visit street parades, instrument-makers, roadside attractions and juke joints, and meet tap dancers, fishermen, fortunetellers and more.

The songs and stories on American Routes describe both the community origins of our music, musicians and cultures — the "roots" — and the many directions they take over time — the "routes."


431 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
19-33: American Routes at the Movies 2019, 8/14/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Terence and Don Shirley
with Terence Blanchard, the Coen Brothers, and music from Green Book and other films

  • Added: Aug 13, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:57
19-32: Shades of the Blues , 8/7/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Marquise Knox
with Albert Lee, Phil Wiggins, Marquise Knox, and Steve Riley.

  • Added: Aug 06, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-31: Family Groove: Remembering Art Neville, 7/31/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Art Neville
remembering Art Neville and Fats Domino

  • Added: Jul 30, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-30: Blue Jukes & Jazz Jukes with Bill Ferris and Doreen Ketchens , 7/24/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Son Thomas , Credit: Bill Ferris
with Bill Ferris and Doreen Ketchens

  • Added: Jul 23, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-29: Breaking Out: British Blues to New Orleans Bounce, 7/17/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Big Freedia and John Mayall, Credit: David Gomez
with John Mayall and Big Freedia

  • Added: Jul 16, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-28: Making New Orleans Music, 7/10/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Dave Bartholomew
with Dave Bartholomew, Earl Palmer, Cosimo Matassa, Allen Toussaint, and the Meters.

  • Added: Jul 09, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-27: A French Quarter Fourth 2019, 7/3/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Irma Thomas
live from the 2019 French Quarter Festival with Preservation Hall, Irma Thomas, Ellis Marsalis, and more.

  • Added: Jul 02, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:59
19-26: Love is Strange with Judy Collins and Jim Lauderdale, 6/26/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Judy Collins and Jim Lauderdale
with Judy Collins and Jim Lauderdale

  • Added: Jun 25, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:59
19-25: Remembering Dr. John: The Night Tripper, 6/19/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Dr. John
a tribute to Dr. John

  • Added: Jun 18, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:59
19-24: When is Father's Day?, 6/12/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Masakowski Family
with Ellis Maralis, Dan Auerbach, Rosanne Cash, and the Masakowski family

  • Added: Jun 11, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:59
19-23: I Am (Not) a Diva, 6/5/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Piece image
with Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Cynthia Girtley, and Abbey Lincoln

  • Added: Jun 04, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-22: Guilty Pleasures Vol. 2: Then and Now, 5/29/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Piece image
from Lotte Lenya singing Mack the Knife and a Japanese take on Tighten Up, to Ray Charles and Ringo

  • Added: May 28, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-21: NEA National Heritage Fellows 2018, 5/22/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Barbara Lynn
With Barbara Lynn, Eddie Bond, Don & Cindy Roy, Ethel Raim, Kelly Church, Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim, Manuel Cuevas, Ofelia Esparza, Marion Coleman, Ledw...

  • Added: May 21, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:59
19-20: Bourbon Street to Vegas with Louis Prima, 5/15/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Louis Prima, Credit: New Orleans Jazz Museum
featuring Sam Butera and Keely Smith

  • Added: May 14, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-19: Musical Memories with Joe Ely & Roscoe Robinson , 5/8/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Joe Ely
with Joe Ely and Roscoe Robinson

  • Added: May 07, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-18: Celebrating Jazz Fest at 50: With Duke Ellington and Mahalia Jackson, 5/1/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Duke Ellington and Mahalia Jackson at Jazz Fest 1970, Credit: Photo by Michael P Smith courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection
Celebrating Mahalia Jackson and Duke Ellington

  • Added: Apr 30, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-17: Live in New Orleans at Jazz Fest and Beyond: The Meters, Randy Newman, Doug Kershaw & the Tedeschi Trucks Band , 4/24/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Doug Kershaw
The Meters, Randy Newman, Doug Kershaw & the Tedeschi Trucks Band

  • Added: Apr 23, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-16: Spring into Easter with the Paschall Brothers, Charlie Louvin and the Santa Maria Produce Company, 4/17/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Charlie Louvin with brother Ira
with the Paschall Brothers, Charlie Louvin and the Santa Maria Produce Company

  • Added: Apr 16, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:58
19-15: Dreamers Then & Now Vol. 2: Jesse Colin Young & Leyla McCalla, 4/10/2019
From: American Routes
Series: American Routes
Caption: Leyla McCalla
featuring Jesse Colin Young & Leyla McCalla

  • Added: Apr 09, 2019
  • Length: 01:58:57

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