American Routes is blues and jazz, gospel and soul, rockabilly and country, Cajun and swamp pop, Tejano, Latin… and beyond. Songs and stories from musicians describe a deep and diverse nation with sounds and styles shared by all Americans. From the bayous to the beltways, from crossroads to crosstown, on interstates and city streets, turn up your radio for the sonic journey!
American Routes—produced in New Orleans since 1998
Crossover Dreams: Latin Music in America
October 1, 2025
This week on American Routes we’ll sample the sabor latino in American music. Join us for conversation with Los Lobos on their mix of American pop and Mexican traditions. We’ll visit Los Cenzontles, a community arts center in San Francisco dedicated to the teaching of Mexican music, and drop by a Philadelphia radio show spinning salsa hits for the neighborhood. Then we’ll sit in with pianist and bandleader Oscar Hernandez of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra for some Nuyorican beats and salsa moves. Plus a special performance by San Antonio’s queen of the conjunto accordion, Eva Ybarra.
NEXT WEEK
Live with Piano Prince Davell Crawford and Native American Songs and Sounds from Pow-Wow to Pop
It’s an American Routes live session with the Piano Prince of New Orleans, Davell Crawford, a fine singer and wily raconteur who grew up in Lafayette and New Orleans. We’ll also hear some of his and our piano heroes from South Louisiana and beyond: James Booker, Professor Longhair, and Ray Charles, as well as Davell’s grandfather, Sugar Boy Crawford. Then, it’s our tribute to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the second Monday of October, with an array of Native American voices and music from the Black Lodge Singers, Dennis Banks, Link Wray, and Redbone. Plus archival and current conversations with Assiniboine Cree Singers from Montana, French-speaking Houmas from Louisiana and vocal harmonies from the women of Ulali.
Autumn Equinox: Changes & Sounds of the Season
As temperatures begin to dip and the leaves turn color, we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox with a soundtrack for the changing season. We hope for crisp air in Fall with Nina Simone’s plea, “Chilly Winds Don’t Blow,” and Sarah Vaughan’s take on Kurt Weill’s “September Song.” For the harvest, we spin Johnny Cash’s “Pickin’ Time.” And with shorter days and longer nights, it’s Ahmad Jamal playing “Old Devil Moon” and Van Morrison with “Moondance.” Plus, we pay tribute to the late Aretha Franklin, whose spirit prevails for all seasons, with memories from her Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler, studio musicians from Muscle Shoals, and her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin.
Remembering Flaco Jiménez & Eddie Palmieri
Flaco Jiménez, king of the conjunto accordion, passed away Thursday, July 31, at age 86.
Nuyorican jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri passed away on Wednesday, August 6, at the age of 88.
You can find our interviews with Flaco Jiménez and Eddie Palmieri here.