Search results for

New Orleans guitar and banjo player Detroit Brooks got a start touring with his musical family, including father George Brooks Sr. of the gospel group Masonic Kings, and his sister, gospel singer Juanita Brooks. Detroit grew up downriver, living four blocks from Fats Domino, and was greatly influenced by the late Creole banjo and guitar player, Danny Barker. He created a festival in his memory. In addition to his career in music, Detroit worked as a barber and for Amtrak. He's well versed in traditional jazz, R&B, soul, and funk. He's here as bandleader of the Syncopated Percolators at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, playing “Hindustan,” on American Routes Live.

Crescent Classical features the winners of the 2024 New Orleans International Piano Competition, presented by MASNO

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.

Our guest, Lil Ray Neal, has been referred to by his fans as the “Gentle Giant of the Blues.” You may know his father, who he is named after, Baton Rouge blues giant, Raful Neal. Or you may have heard his brother Kenny Neal on a previous American Routes show. Born in Erwinville, LA, now based in Baton Rouge, Lil Ray Neal has been working as a blues guitarist and vocalist for over 40 years, playing with artists John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Little Milton, Bobby Rush, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and B.B. King. Here on American Routes live, he’s taking the stage solo for a rare intimate performance at the The West Baton Rouge Museum, beginning with “Darlin’ You Know I Love You.”

Did Bush really pay 36 percent over all those years of tax returns or not? Here's how the campaign got to that number.

Knowing everything there is to know about someone's financials is intrusive. So how did the tradition start — and why do we care?

With Hillary Clinton, the first woman to head a major party ticket on the ballot, it was always likely there'd be undercurrents of sexism. What surprising is just how out in the open it has been.

The colorful, crowded vehicles are a cheap and popular form of public transport. But they also pollute the air. Jeepney drivers have been pushing back against government plans to phase them out.

Despite more than a handful of setbacks, President Biden has delivered on several major promises since 2021, some with bipartisan support. Those compromises could be harder with the new Congress.

Since their round of fame, the brothers, who dedicated themselves to rehabbing birds injured by kite strings in the Delhi sky, are gaining worldwide support — and an infusion of donations.