Christmas has come early for fans of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, as organizers released the lineup for the 2026 edition on Thursday (Dec. 11) — a month earlier than usual.

John Mayall and his band the Bluesbreakers pioneered British blues rock, introducing it to a larger audience. They included musicians who went on to join legendary bands like Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and the Rolling Stones. Mayall moved to the states in 1968 and had a discography of 70 studio and live albums. Before he passed in 2024, John called Los Angeles home and his favorite climate for living, but it was in Macclesfield, Cheshire where he first heard the blues.

It's Thanksgiving weekend, and we've got some family harmonies. Coming up, we are going to revisit a conversation with the late bassist, Charlie Haden. Haden is known to many for his early work in the late ‘50s with free jazz sax player, Ornette Coleman. A decade later, he founded the Liberation Music Orchestra with arranger and pianist Carla Bley, a group dedicated to political activism. Over the years, Haden collaborated with pianists Keith Jarrett, Kenny Barron, Hank Jones, and his most enduring partnership was with fellow Missourian, guitarist Pat Metheny. Although Charlie Haden’s homeland for many years was Los Angeles, he grew up mostly near Springfield, Missouri. When I spoke to the consummate jazz bassist in 2008, he was drawing attention for a country music record made in Nashville, Rambling Boy, where he was joined by his musical family and several guests. For Haden, country music was a homecoming. His career really began at age two, singing–yodeling–on his parent's live radio show.

The Historic New Orleans Collection spotlights New Orleans architect and urban planner Steven Bingler.

Don Bryant was the fifth of ten children, grew up listening to his father’s gospel group, and started singing in church at age five. Don began harmonizing with his family and neighbors and went on to form the Four Kings with his brothers singing on Dick “Cane” Cole’s popular WLOK radio show. The group joined up with Willie Mitchell’s band; Don Bryant was lead singer. Bryant later pursued a solo career, but mostly focused on writing material for other artists at Hi Records and continued singing in church. Don returned to singing secular music in his 70s after an invitation from Memphis soul band the Bo-Keys. He released an album in 2017, called “Don’t Give Up on Love,” his first secular album in 48 years. Don’s latest record, You Make Me Feel, came out in 2020.

This is American Routes Live with Don Vappie and friends. Don is from a New Orleans Creole family and is a studied purveyor of jazz banjo. He knows much about the history of the music and the instrument, going back to origins in West Africa. I asked Don about New Orleans banjo players.