Winter Holiday: Solstice, Hanukkah, Xmas, and Kwanzaa on American Routes – Friday at Noon

listen

Xmas Bonfires 1574788415 It’s that time of year, when the days are shorter and the nights are colder. Warm up to our sounds for the season. Classic songs to celebrate the winter holidays plus a visit to South Louisiana’s Christmas Eve bonfires lighting the way for Papa Noel along the Mississippi River.

American Routes airs Fridays at noon on KRCB-FM Radio 91 / streaming @ norcalpublicmedia.org / Download the FREE KRCB App @ iTunes & Google Play!

(Photo: via American Routes)

American Routes

July 03, 2020

Musical Stars & Cultural Stripes: American Roots Independence Day Revisited – Friday at Noon

It's Fourth of July, and we dig into the archives for the roots of American Routes. It all began with a series of Independence Day concerts held annually at the Washington Monument before the fireworks show on the National Mall and featured the best of American vernacular musical culture. We’ll…
June 26, 2020

Rolling the Stones with Chuck Leavell & Bernard Fowler, Plus Rockabilly Gentleman, Narvel Felts on American Routes – Friday at Noon

The Rolling Stones have been around for over five decades and touring almost as long. This week we listen back to Stones songs about working people, the band’s sources in blues, country, and gospel, and speak with two of their sidemen who share their tales of working with the group. Pianist and…
June 19, 2020

Sounds of Freedom: Fontella Bass and Freddie Hubbard on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We honor the struggle for equality with the sounds of freedom. Sixties soul queen Fontella Bass used her gospel background and voice to make freedom statements of her own, such as her biggest hit “Rescue Me.” Then, late jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard talks free form music and freedom of expression.…
June 12, 2020

Music and Words of Wisdom: A Corona Stray from Home Companion, Vol. 3 on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We walk the line of isolation, go outside carefully with music and words of wisdom for contemplation, comfort and hope. It’s a Corona Stray from Home Companion, in conversations with a few of our favorite artists including Tejano accordionist Flaco Jimenez and the late Ray Charles -- both speaking…
June 04, 2020

Santana Speaks: with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and Los Lobos on American Routes – Friday at Noon

Carlos Santana speaks about playing music from the streets of Tijuana to the stage at Woodstock, launching his career in San Francisco, and his hopes for a global society explored on his new album Africa Speaks. We’ll hear from the late Tito Puente, el Rey de los Timbales, who tells about the roots…
May 28, 2020

This Week on American Routes: The Outlaw Poet and the Crawfish Queen – Friday at Noon

Texas singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver is a prolific composer who draws inspiration from his life experiences: turning horses to working in a sawmill; his relationship with religion and his family. All raw material for honing classic country songs, many of which are anthemic in the Outlaw Country…
May 21, 2020

This Week on American Routes: National Heritage Fellows 2019 – Friday at Noon

American Routes celebrates this holiday weekend with words and music from the National Heritage Fellows Concert in Washington DC. Since 1982, the…
May 14, 2020

Dreamers Then and Now: Eric Andersen and Samantha Fish on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We explore the world of daydreams, nostalgia, fantasy and future selves. Time travel with songwriting scenester Eric Andersen back to his days…
May 08, 2020

This Week on American Routes: Music & Healing, Part 2 – Friday at Noon

Songs and stories of the healing power of music and its role in improving personal health with gospel singer Cora Harvey Armstrong, Apsaalooke rapper…
Apr 30, 2020

Corona Stay at Home Companion: Sounds of Solace on American Routes – Friday at Noon

Songs and stories of the healing power of music and its role in improving personal health with gospel singer Cora Harvey Armstrong, Apsaalooke rapper…
Apr 24, 2020

Celebrating Jazz Fest at 50 with Duke Ellington and Mahalia Jackson on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We’re celebrating 50 years of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival by looking back at historic performances from the first festival in 1970.…
Apr 17, 2020

John Prine Remembered: In His Own Words on American Routes – Friday at Noon

John Prine, the beloved songmaker, singer and guitarist passed away from the coronavirus in Nashville on April 7, 2020. This week we present our…
Apr 10, 2020

Spring Awakening: A Corona Global Companion on American Routes – Friday at Noon

It’s a Spring Awakening, and we’ve got songs about bunny hops, rockin’ robins, and fragrant flowers but also lonely hours, gospel prayers and…
Apr 02, 2020

Of Highways and Home: Alison Krauss & Alynda Segarra on American Routes – Friday at Noon

This week on American Routes, we’ll ride along with fiddler and singer Alison Krauss on her journey through bluegrass and country, from small-town…
Mar 27, 2020

Empress of the Blues Bessie Smith on American Routes – Friday at Noon

Bessie Smith was called the Empress of the Blues, but she was also the highest paid African American entertainer of her generation. We’ll explore the…
Mar 19, 2020

Dreamers Then & Now, Vol. 2: Jesse Colin Young and Leyla McCalla on American Routes – Friday at 1pm

This week on American Routes we peer into the minds of musical dreamers of the past and present, exploring dreams of love, immigration, and a more…
Mar 12, 2020

Down by the Riverside: with The Doucet Brothers, Original Liberty Jazz Band, and Topsy Chapman on American Routes – Friday at 1pm

The Mississippi River has produced great cultural icons in jazz, blues, gospel, rockabilly, roots rock and soul and many other music styles near its…
Mar 06, 2020

Fellow Travelers: Margo Price, Willie Nelson and Friends on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We’re on the road again, dialed into high-flying honky-tonk as we cruise through Texas cotton patches and Midwestern pastures of plenty. Starting off…
Feb 28, 2020

Leap Day: Forgotten Treasures - American Routes Friday at Noon

This week on American Routes: it’s a rare Leap Year show with Guilty Pleasures and Forgotten Treasures. As the 29th of February rolls around we take…
Feb 14, 2020

Blue Note Records: Then and Now with Don Was on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We take a deep dive into the vaults of Blue Note Records, the independent label that helped put artists like Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, and Jimmy…
Feb 06, 2020

Blues for Home and Highways: Eddie Cotton, Jr. and Willis Alan Ramsey on American Routes – Friday at Noon

Jackson, Mississippi blues guitarist Eddie Cotton, Jr. takes time out from his performance at the 2019 National Folk Festival to talk to us about his…
Jan 31, 2020

This Week on American Routes: Guilty Pleasures: Music We Love More Than We Can Say – Friday at Noon

We take a deep dive into the memory vaults to spin the tunes that we shamelessly love. From guilty pleasures, including a disco dance number, to…
Jan 24, 2020

While I’m Livin’: Tanya Tucker & Warren Storm on American Routes – Friday at Noon

Singer Tanya Tucker got her start as a very young singer in Nashville. At age 13, she had her first hit with “Delta Dawn.” Since then, she’s seen a…
Jan 16, 2020

In the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. With Cyril Neville This Week on American Routes – Friday at Noon

In the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. With Cyril Neville For the Martin Luther King holiday we honor his spirit and struggle with African American…
Jan 10, 2020

Remake the World: Jimmy Cliff & Arturo O’Farrill, This Week on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We travel to Jamaica and Cuba, with connections in NY and New Orleans. Singer Jimmy Cliff is the global reggae star whose career was launched a half…
Jan 03, 2020

Rock Routes and Cajun Stardom: Boz Scaggs and Jimmy C. Newman on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We trace stardom back to its source, traversing the roots and routes that led small town musicians to national fame. Pop icon Boz Scaggs and the late…
Dec 26, 2019

This Week on American Routes: New Orleans New Years Live – Friday at Noon

It’s time to celebrate the New Year with live music from the French Quarter including the Rebirth Brass Band, jazz with Leroy Jones ...and Ellis…
Dec 12, 2019

It’s A Special American Routes for our Holiday Cheer & End of Year Fundraiser – Friday at Noon

For this special fundraising edition of American Routes, host Nick Spitzer brings you some of our hometown music here in New Orleans and South…
Dec 05, 2019

Breaking Out: British Blues to New Orleans Bounce on American Routes – Friday at Noon

From Great Britain to the Big Easy, we explore the sounds of musical and social breakouts. First, we hear how British blues pioneer John Mayall broke…
Nov 29, 2019

This Week on American Routes: National Heritage Fellows 2019 – Friday at Noon

American Routes celebrates this Thanksgiving weekend with words and music from the National Heritage Fellows Concert in Washington DC. Since 1982,…
Nov 22, 2019

The Black Keys, Robert Finley & Luke Winslow King on American Routes – Friday at Noon

This Week on American Routes, we trace the musical DNA and psychic aura of the blues from its Delta roots to Chicago’s electric pioneers, across a…
Nov 15, 2019

This Week on American Routes, Songs of Rivers and Mountains: Joan Shelley & Jeff Little – Friday at Noon

TODAY'S PROGRAM MY BE PRE-EMPTED BY LIVE NPR NEWS COVERAGE OF THE TRUMP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. This week we visit with two Southern crafters of music…
Nov 07, 2019

Ponderosa Stomp and Americana Swamp on American Routes – Friday at Noon

New Orleans’ Ponderosa Stomp has presented the “unsung heroes of American music” for well over a decade in blues, soul, country, rockabilly and…
Nov 01, 2019

This Week on American Routes: Music & Healing, Part 2 – Friday at Noon

Songs and stories of the healing power of music and its role in improving personal health with gospel singer Cora Harvey Armstrong, Apsaalooke rapper…
Oct 24, 2019

I Put a Spell on You: Halloween '19 on American Routes – Friday at Noon

To usher in the season of the witch, we invoke the power of hoodoo charms and haunted melodies, blood moons and black magic. And we hang with the Bay…
Oct 18, 2019

Preservation Hall Perseveres & Guitarist Albert Lee on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We are live in New Orleans at Preservation Hall for the nouveau stylings and hybrid sounds that have been cooking up in the historic jazz hub…
Oct 11, 2019

This Week on American Routes: Rolling the Stones with Chuck Leavell & Bernard Fowler, and More – Friday at Noon

The Rolling Stones have been around for over five decades and touring almost as long. This week we listen back to Stones songs about working people,…
Oct 04, 2019

American Routes Live: With the Soul Rebels, Lost Bayou Ramblers & More – Friday at Noon

We revel in the live sounds of New Orleans and South Louisiana. First, turn it up for the “New Sound of New Orleans” with the Soul Rebels brass band,…
Sep 27, 2019

Santana Speaks: with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and Los Lobos on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with prominent voices of Latin American music. Carlos Santana speaks about playing music from the streets of…
Sep 19, 2019

Autumn Equinox & Remembering Aretha Franklin on American Routes – Friday at Noon

As temperatures begin to dip and the leaves turn color, we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox with a soundtrack for the changing season. We hope for…
Sep 13, 2019

Guilty Pleasures Volume 2: Then and Now on American Routes – Friday at Noon

For Volume 2 of our Guilty Pleasures series, we revel in the freedom to create an eclectic flow—during these days of algorithmic radio—from Lotte…
Sep 06, 2019

Dreamers Then and Now Part 2: Jesse Colin Young and Leyla McCalla on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We peer into the minds of musical dreamers of the past and present, exploring dreams of love, immigration, and a more perfect union. Singer songmaker…
Aug 29, 2019

Labor Day Live from New Orleans on American Routes – Friday at Noon

This Labor Day weekend, we’re rockin’ from the French Quarter Festival: a free, homegrown, four-day annual event featuring a vast array of local…
Aug 23, 2019

Los Angeles: Soundtrack for the Angels on American Routes – Friday at Noon

In this special program, American Routes' host Nick Spitzer uncovers the music and cultural traditions of Los Angeles: from Hollywood to…
Aug 16, 2019

American Routes at the Movies 2019 – Friday at Noon

We’re taking a trip to Tinseltown to explore the music that brings movies to life. We’ll hear from trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, who…
Aug 09, 2019

Shades of the Blues on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We explore the sonic hues of the blues in jazz, R & B, country, Cajun and pop. We'll hear blues inflections in the music of Gene Vincent and George…
Aug 02, 2019

Family Groove: Remembering Art Neville on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We remember lost heroes of New Orleans music, beginning with Art Neville, a founding member of The Meters and the Neville Brothers, who passed away…
Jul 26, 2019

Blues Jukes & Jazz Streets with Bill Ferris and Doreen Ketchens on American Routes – Friday at Noon

We travel from Mississippi juke joints to the streets of the French Quarter to hear from those who record and perform music. Folklorist Bill Ferris…
Jul 19, 2019

This Week on American Routes: British Blues to New Orleans Bounce – Friday at Noon

From Great Britain to the Big Easy, we explore the sounds of musical and social breakouts. First, we hear how British blues pioneer John Mayall broke…
Jul 12, 2019

Making New Orleans Music on American Routes – Friday at Noon

It’s a two-hour walk through streets of the city as we dive into two great eras of New Orleans music. First, it’s the 1940s and 50s R&B hit factory…
Jul 05, 2019

A French Quarter Fourth 2019 on American Routes – Friday at Noon

This Independence Day weekend, we celebrate the cultural minglings in New Orleans, the city whose unparalleled diversity gave birth to some of the…
Jun 27, 2019

Love is Strange with Jim Lauderdale and Judy Collins on American Routes – Friday at Noon

The dead of winter has us planning ahead for Valentine’s Day and life itself with songs of love—lost and found. Whether it’s from swooning crooners…
Jun 20, 2019

This Week on American Routes, Remembering Dr. John: The Night Tripper – Friday at Noon

New Orleans’ soulful hoodoo rock and roller and carnivalesque hero Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, passed away on June 6, 2019. Within a…
Jun 13, 2019

When is Father's Day? This Week on American Routes – Friday at Noon

From “Ol’ Man River” to “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” we turn to the American songbook for portraits of fatherhood, both kindly and cautionary, from…
Jun 06, 2019

I Am (Not) a Diva on American Routes – Friday at Noon

What comes to mind when you hear the word “Diva”? We’ve found that it’s a word that can go both ways—as praise for an accomplished and magnetic…
May 30, 2019

Guilty Pleasures Volume 2: Then and Now on American Routes – Friday at Noon

via American RoutesFor Volume 2 of our Guilty Pleasures series, we revel in the freedom to create an eclectic flow—during these days of algorithmic…
Jan 30, 2019

Visions of Genius: Remembering Ray Charles on American Routes – Friday at Noon

Ray Charles’ unique vision blended the best of jazz and R&B, gospel and soul, country and pop into distinctive music that forever changed the…
Oct 04, 2018

Crossover Dreams: Latin Music in America on American Routes – Today at Noon

We’ll sample the sabor latino in American music. Join us for conversation with Los Lobos on their mix of American pop and Mexican traditions.
Sep 20, 2018

Autumn Equinox: Changes & Sounds of the Season on American Routes - Friday at Noon

As temperatures begin to dip and the leaves turn color, we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox with a soundtrack for the changing season.
Sep 13, 2018

A Grateful Journey: Kris Kristofferson on American Routes – Friday at Noon

A conversation with a man of many talents: songwriter, actor, boxer, military man, among many titles, Kris Kristofferson, reflecting on his life in…
Sep 06, 2018

Fellow Travelers: Margo Price, Willie Nelson & Friends on American Routes - Today at Noon

We're on the road again, dialed into high-flying honky tonk as we cruise through Texas cotton patches and Midwestern pastures of plenty.
Aug 30, 2018

Labor Day Live at the Baton Rouge Blues Festival - American Routes, Today at Noon

The long-running Baton Rouge Blues Festival draws on the Louisiana capital’s definitive musical legacy.
Aug 23, 2018

The Meters, Randy Newman, Doug Kershaw, and Tedeschi Trucks Band All LIVE – American Routes at Noon

Some great live performances in and beyond New Orleans. First, from the cavernous Howlin’ Wolf club in the Warehouse District, The Meters perform a…
Aug 16, 2018

New Blues & Bluegrass: Cedric Burnside & ShadowGrass on American Routes – Today at Noon

Facing the hot season head on, we hit up juke joints, dancehalls and folk festivals to get our fill of hot licks from blues and bluegrass musicians,…
Aug 09, 2018

Giants of Jazz: Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane on American Routes - Friday at Noon

For this special American Routes program, we follow the lives of two giants of jazz: Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane.
Aug 02, 2018

Stories from the Road with Brandi Carlile & Meschiya Lake – American Routes Friday at 12 pm

We hit the open road to hear tales of adventure and woe from honky-tonkers and hobos, train-hoppers and busking bohemians.
Jul 26, 2018

Routes Rock & Cajun Stardom: Boz Scaggs & Jimmy C. Newman – American Routes Today at Noon

We trace stardom back to its source, traversing the roots and routes that led small town musicians to national fame.
Jul 19, 2018

Record Mavens: Dan Auerbach & Joel Savoy Take On the Music Industry – American Routes Today at Noon

Traveling at the speed of 45 RPM, we sink into the record grooves of some of our favorite songs and talk to the studio wizards who produced them.
Jul 12, 2018

Blue Note Records: Don Was and Michael Cuscuna on American Routes – Today at Noon

We take a deep dive into the vaults of Blue Note Records, the independent label that helped put artists like Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey and Jimmy…
Jul 05, 2018

Blind Boys of Alabama and Cajun Accordionist Bruce Daigrepont on American Routes – Today at 12 pm

Happy July Fourth! Add some sizzle to your backyard barbecue with hot licks from the stage as we road trip from New Orleans to Butte, Montana.
Jun 21, 2018

Travel to Exotic Summer Destinations on the Next American Routes – Today at Noon

To kick off the summer season, American Routes is riding the airwaves to exotic destinations, swinging and surfing to all manner of beachside rhythms…
Jun 14, 2018

We Celebrate Father’s Day on American Routes – Today at Noon

From “Ol’ Man River” to “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” we turn to the American songbook for portraits of fatherhood, both kindly and cautionary, from…
Jun 07, 2018

Dreamers Then & Now: Eric Andersen & Samantha Fish on American Routes – Today at Noon

As the promise of summer rises with the heat index, we explore the world of daydreams, nostalgia, fantasy and future selves.
May 31, 2018

It’s Creoles and Cowgirls, Charlie Gabriel, and the Quebe Sisters - Today @ Noon on American Routes

We hit up Preservation Hall in the French Quarter for a potent dose of trad jazz, as bandleader and fourth-generation Creole musician Charlie Gabriel…
Apr 10, 2018

AMERICAN ROUTES LIVE: FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE 2017 - Friday 4/13 at Noon

American Routes boogies down to bayou country to catch live music at Festival International, a showcase of French music from southwest Louisiana and…
Apr 05, 2018

RED STICKS AND BLUE NOTES: THE BATON ROUGE BLUES FESTIVAL - American Routes Friday 4/6 @ Noon

This week, American Routes revisits the best live performances from the 2016 Baton Rouge Blues Festival.
Mar 21, 2018

American Routes: "Music of Healing & Elixirs" - Friday March 23rd at Noon

Little Freddie King, Anders Osborne, Dr. Michael White & Music Maker Relief Foundation From healing songs and expressions of pain to hoodoo cure-alls…

Northern California
Public Media Newsletter

Get the latest updates on programs and events.