Americana evades easy description… but that blend of country, blues, and other folk styles is the beating heart of the American musical experience. Black artists have always played a central role in creating that music, even as their own stories have been often erased.
The Black Americana Festival is dedicated to resurrecting lost stories and carrying this rich musical tradition into the future.
Host Garrett Pittman chats with festival co-founder Dusky Waters about the joys and challenges of preserving the Black traditions in Americana. We also hear music from classic and contemporary Black Americana artists.
Black Americana Festival will be at New Orleans' Broadside Theater September 26-27. You can find ticket information, schedules of performances and events, volunteer opportunities, and more at their website.
Playlist
Open Bed “Davidson County Blues” DeFord Bailey 1:23
Walk Right In (When the Sun Goes Down) (BMG)
“Mae” Dusky Waters 3:14
Live recording from WWNO Studios
“I’m a Cowboy” Danny Barker 3:24
Save the Bones (Orleans Records)
“Cowboy Boots” Alvin Youngblood Hart 3:00
Start With Soul (Rykodisc)
“We’re Gonna Hold On” Solomon Burke 3:28
Nashville (Shout! Factory)
“There Stands the Glass” Ted Hawkins 2:33
The Next Hundred Years (UMG)
Live vamp Dusky Waters 2:05
Live Recording From WWNO Studios
Excerpt: “Cornbread and Butterbeans” Carolina Chocolate Drops 1:14
Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch)
Excerpt: “Walking Cane” Peg Leg Sam 1:15
Classic Appalachian Blues (Smithsonian Folkways)
Excerpt: “Joe Pitre et Deux Femme” Sunpie Barnes 1:21
A New Orleans Visit: Before Katrina (Smithsonian Folkways)
Excerpt: “London Canal Breakdown” Dr. Michael White 1:22
Blue Crescent (Basin Street Records)
Excerpt: “Shoot That Buffalo” Elizabeth Cotten 2:05
Shake Sugaree (Smithsonian Folkways)
“House on King Street” Dusky Waters 3:40
Live Recording from WWNO Studios
“Jambalaya” Professor Longhair 2:11
Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge (Warner Music Group)
“King of the Road” James Booker 3:10
Classified (Rounder)
“Scaled to Survive” Leyla McCalla 3:50
Live at the 2025 Jazz and Heritage Festival (MunckMix)
“No Reason” Sunny War 2:38
Anarchist Gospel (New West)
“Let Life Flow” Kenny Neal with Quianna Lynell and Lee Oskar 4:05
Let Life Flow (Kenny Neal)
“Nunya” The Suffers 3:41
It Starts with Love (The Suffers)
“Donna’s Got a Rambling Mind” Joe Thompson 2:54
Family Tradition (Rounder)
End Bed: “Peace Behind the Bridge” Carolina Chocolate Drops 1:59
Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch)
