AMERICAN ROUTES
Celebrating the National Heritage Fellows Celebrating the National Heritage Fellows May 25th, 2022 (Hour 1)
Celebrating the National Heritage Fellows

Join us this Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellows. Each year, the NEA recognizes traditional artists for their excellence and contributions to our nation’s heritage. It’s the highest award in the traditional arts. This year’s honorees include: Filipino rondalla musician Tagumpay Mendoza De Leon; Osage ribbon worker and ceramicist Anita Fields; documentary filmmaker and preservationist Tom Davenport; Louisiana’s Winnsboro Easter Rock gospel ensemble; Hill Country blues drummer and guitarist Cedric Burnside; Puerto Rican mundillo lace weaver Nellie Vera; Irish flute and whistle maven Joanie Madden; Chicago tap dancer Reginald “Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin; and the Mexican American band from East Los Angeles, Los Lobos. Plus music from prior awardees including Del McCoury, Mavis Staples, Dr. Michael White and John Lee Hooker.

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WHO WAS HARRY SMITH?: THE GREAT DELINEATOR AND HIS ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC

January 5th, 2022

Who was Harry Smith? The short answer about the 20th century polymath and hustler might be divined in his legendary 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, an LP collection of mostly Southern US folk songs from 78rpm records. “The Anthology“ established a cult of listening and influenced popular and folk revival artists from John Sebastian and the New Lost City Ramblers to rockers like Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and Beck. We’ll talk with Smith biographer John Szwed about Harry’s life as an artist, record collector and 1950’s bohemian. Then, old and new covers of the Anthology and its B-sides from Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, Gatemouth Brown and Amythyst Kiah.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Sail Away Ladies Uncle Bunt Stephens
    Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Down on Penny's Farm The Bently Boys
    Anthology of American Folk Music Volume One, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Down on Penny's Farm Natalie Merchant
    The House Carpenter's Daughter, Myth America Records
  • SEGMENT: Who is Harry Smith?

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  • Instrumental: Memphis Shakedown Memphis Jug Band
    The Cornshucker's Frolic: Classic Recordings From the 1920's & 30's, Vol. 2, Yazoo
  • SEGMENT: Record Collecting and the Anthology of American Folk Music

    Listen
  • New New Minglewood Blues Grateful Dead
    Grateful Dead, Warner
  • Last Fair Deal Gone Down Beck
    The Harry Smith Project Live, Craft
  • Instrumental: Dallas Rag New Lost City Ramblers
    The Early Years, 1958-1962, Smithsonian Folkways
  • SEGMENT: Harry Smith's Reflections

    Listen
  • John Hardy was a Desperate Little Man Carter Family
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 1, Smithsonian Folkways
  • John Hardy Alvin Youngblood Hart
    Territory, Rykodisc
  • SEGMENT: Harry Smith’s Legacy

    Listen
  • End Bed: The Moonshiner's Dance Part Two Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe Orchestra
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Stackalee (Instrumental Version) Frank Hutchison
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Spike Driver Blues Mississippi John Hurt
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 3, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Spike Driver Blues Marianne Faithful
    The Harry Smith Project Live, Craft
  • Poor Boy Long Way from Home Bukka White
    The Sonet Blues Story, Universal
  • Poor Boy Long Way from Home Black Keys
    Delta Kream, Nonesuch
  • When That Great Ship Went Down The Dixieaires
    The Greatest Spirituals: Vol. 2 1946-1951, Time
  • Instrumental: Charles Giteau Norman Blake
    Songs of the Hills: Appalachian Classics, Shanachie
  • Charles Giteau Kelly Harrel
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 1, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Bandit Cole Younger Edward Crain
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 1, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Outlaw Blues Bob Dylan
    Bringing It All Back Home, Columbia
  • I Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop Jim Jackson
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Fifty Miles of Elbow Room Gillian Welch, David Rawlings & James Alan Shelton
    Song for Greta, Rebel Records
  • Bayou Teche Columbus Fruge
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Instrumental: La Danseuse Delma Lachney and Blind Encle Gaspard
    Anthology of American Folk Music Volume 2, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Storms are on the Ocean Doc Watson & Jean Ritchie
    Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson at Folk City, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Darling Corey Amythyst Kiah
    Dig, Amythyst Kiah
  • Bull-Doze Blues Henry Thomas
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Goin' Up Country Canned Heat
    Canned Heat--On the Road Again, Capitol
  • Royal Telephone Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Marie Knight
    The Decca Singles, Vol. 4, UMG
  • See That My Grave is Kept Clean Gatemouth Brown and Los Super Seven
    Heard It On the X, Telarc
  • End Bed: Sugar Baby Bill Frisell
    The Best of Bill Frisell, Volume 1: Folk Songs, Nonesuch

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 25th, 2022

    CELEBRATING THE NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

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  • 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

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