July 2011
99 posts
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“There was a steamboat pulling into town playing a calliope and then, on the...”
– Former riverboat captain, Doc Hawley.
Listen to more stories and songs of the Mississippi River.
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“I’m no fool, mama, I know the difference
Between tempting and choosing my...”
– Justin Townes Earle, from the title track to Harlem River Blues.
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“I find that if you hang out with art people, all you talk about is art, all you...”
– Justin Townes Earle.
Hear more of Earle’s philosophies on life, art and… trains, on this week’s American Routes.
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“A tramping boat had no given port. It went from town to town like a circus.”
– Captain Doc Hawley, former captain of the Riverboat Natchez and calliope-man extraordinaire, talks about his first job on the river.
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“I’m not a poet that turned into a junkie, I’m a junkie that turned...”
– Justin Townes Earle, who spoke with us for this week’s American Routes.
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Riding the Rivers and Rails: Justin Townes Earle...
Listen to this week’s show!
Have you ever sailed the Mississippi on a riverboat? Heard a calliope bounce notes off a barge? Caught the freight train boogie? This week on American Routes, we’re riding the rails and sailing sails with words and music dedicated to two old forms of transport. We’ll visit with Captain Doc Hawley, a calliope player on the “Natchez” in New Orleans to find out...
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“The Dream Cruise is the mecca of anything that’s got wheels. If it’s...”
– We took a ride to Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise, a day-long parade of over 40,000 classic cars. Check out the revving engines of this car-lover’s mecca and more Detroit sounds on this week’s show.
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“You can take those Motown tracks and take the vocals out and you have...”
– Motown session musician Tony Newton, on the musical qualities of Motown songs.
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“In fact, I’m one of the pioneers of that Gratiot and Woodward Cruise...”
– Rockabilly pioneer Johnny Powers on the origins of the Woodward Cruise - the world’s largest one-day auto exposition, held annually in Detroit.
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“I guess I had a pretty normal childhood, for somebody growing up in the ghetto...”
– Detroit-native Smokey Robinson on growing up in the Motor City in the 1950s.
Hear Robinson talk about Detroit’s rhythms - on the street and in the studio - on this week’s American Routes.
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“What happened there was Devora Brown and Jack Brown at Fortune Records… Devora...”
– Detroit rockabilly songwriter and producer Johnny Powers on how he was given his stage name.
Hear more from Johnny on his life in the studio, and on the assembly line.
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“Performing is my favorite part of my work. It’s the time when I get to...”
– Motown singer and songwriter, Smokey Robinson, on his love of performing.
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WatchMissed the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band on Letterman?
Here’s the video from last night — they performed “I’ll Fly Away”, with each band trading verses and then coming together at the end. Hear more jam sessions from Del and the Pres Hall Band on our 4th of July show.
(via)
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Motor City Music of Detroit
Listen to this week’s show!
American Routes cruises the musical map of Detroit, catching the sights and sounds of the Motor City. From Hamtramck to Dearborn, we’ll meet the proud people who made the cars and played the bars. Jazz modernist Yusef Lateef tells of his time on the assembly line. Smokey Robinson talks about growing up with Motown’s future stars. We’ll learn...
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mightyflynn asked: Why aren't American Routes episodes available through iTunes or as downloadable files on your site? I'd listen more often if I could do so away from the computer (local radio broadcasts of the program are inconveniently scheduled at 6am on Sundays and 7pm on Saturdays).
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