On this week’s episode, we sit down with Grammy award-winning singer, actor and author Dr. Francois Clemmons.

This is American Routes Live from Marigny Studios with jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison and Quintet. I talked with Donald between songs about his life in music, from growing up in New Orleans to playing with Art Blakey in New York, and putting his own stamp on modern jazz.

This is American Routes live in the studio with a few friends. 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.

Each year, Mardi Gras Indians greet the day on the city streets to sing and strut. This has been going on since the late 19th century. The call and response sounds of the Indians often carry the Congo beat, fundamental in New Orleans' musical fabric. The beloved Indian Chief Monk Boudreaux has been masking Indian for more than 70 years. We visited him at home, where he quietly sewed his new suit.

Traditional plastic beads can be toxic and bad for the environment. In response, some are moving away from plastic beads, using locally recycled glass instead.

Our guest is modern saxophonist Charles Lloyd, who also built a sound in Los Angeles, riding a wave of free jazz and beyond. He played alongside everyone from Ornette Coleman to the Jefferson Airplane. His fluid music carried him out of the city to the California Coast, where he hung with the Beach Boys and found internal peace. But before all that, Charles Lloyd discovered his love for the saxophone through the blues in his hometown of Memphis.