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The Stooges Brass Band from New Orleans started as teenagers in 1996 after bandleader Walter "Whoadie" Ramsey heard a performance by Rebirth Brass Band. Walter combined members of two rival high school bands, and they later added hip hop, funk, and R&B into the setup. The Stooges grew up to play local clubs and jazz second line parades. They went global with videos with hip hop producer Mannie Fresh. Back home they won local Red Bull Street Kings competitions twice since 2010. Kicking it off: The Stooges on American Routes.

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.

New Orleanians have always loved to cook and to share what they've made with others. So it makes sense that as soon as there was television, there was a Crescent City chef on the screen spreading the good news of New Orleans food. The first was an African American cooking star named Lena Richard, who made her TV debut on WDSU-TV in 1949. Fast forward to today, and it’s tough to tune in to any cooking show and not see a familiar face. This week, three local chefs walk us through the fun and the frenzy of their television encounters.

The following is an American Routes encore presentation featuring our interview with the Band’s Robbie Robertson, who passed away on August 9th, at age 80. The Band, and Robertson in particular, were always on the search for “authentic” American music, and around this time they began to incorporate the sounds of New Orleans into their eclectic mix. Songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson picks up the story.

We’re live at Marigny Studios with Little Freddie King, an old school bluesman from McComb, Mississippi who lives in New Orleans’ 9th Ward. Little Freddie is a great teller of tales. During the session, we talked about his comings and goings in music, and I asked about the story behind his homemade first guitar.

I’m Nick Spitzer. This is American Routes for the holiday season. We’re celebrating the NEA National Heritage Fellows, and I thought we’d honor a past group of fellows; New Orleans’ Treme Brass Band received the award in 2006. They’ve sine brought the tradition forward into the present. It’s the Treme Brass Band live at Artisound Studios in the 9th Ward, with “Shake It and Break It” on American Routes Live.

We’re celebrating the NEA National Heritage Fellows, and I thought we’d honor a past group of fellows; New Orleans’ Treme Brass Band received the award in 2006. They’ve since brought the tradition forward into the present. It’s the Treme Brass Band live at Artisound Studios in the 9th Ward, with “Shake It and Break It” on American Routes Live.

Anders Osborne grew up on a remote Swedish island, made his way to the mainland, hitchhiked and sang his way across Europe, and eventually crossed the Atlantic to visit New Orleans. He had heard about the city from his merchant marine grandfather who lived here and also from his father, a jazz musician. In New Orleans, Anders finally felt at home, but his life in music began to mirror the city’s excesses and finally, its resilience.

Jimmy Charles Holmes was born in Bentonia, MS in 1947. His father was a farmer and his mother ran a juke joint called the Blue Front Cafe. Jimmy took it over in 1970, and it was at the Blue Front where he learned the Bentonia style of blues guitar from the revered Jack Owens.

In the late 19th century, African American beach communities began to emerge in places like Highland Beach, MD and Cape May, NJ. They provided havens for Black vacationers excluded from white resort communities. But get this: the historically Black Sea Breeze beach in North Carolina was open to whites in the heart of the Jim Crow South.