Holiday Soul and Spirit: Live from Preservation Hall with Irma Thomas & the Blind Boys of Alabama

For this special holiday edition of American Routes, we get into the spirit of the season with live performances by Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, and gospel greats the Blind Boys of Alabama at Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. Blind Boys’ founding member Jimmy Carter tells of his long life on the road through the Jim Crow South and around the world, and Irma Thomas describes her gospel roots and soul music’s role in protest and healing. Plus, we keep the holiday festivities going with a joyous jukebox of blues and jazz, Cajun and country, solstice and seasonal tunes.

HOUR ONE

Open Bed: Bourbon Street Parade Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

Hindustan Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

Just a Little While to Stay Here Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

SEGMENT: Jimmy Carter

Instrumental: Brother Soul Lou Donaldson

Say It Loud, Blue Note

Amazing Grace Blind Boys of Alabama

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

Uncloudy Day The Blind Boys of Alabama with Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

I'll Fly Away Blind Boys of Alabama

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

Instrumental: Alligator Bogaloo Lou Donaldson

Alligator Bogaloo, Blue Note

SEGMENT: Irma Thomas

Love Don't Change Irma Thomas

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

Wish Someone Would Care Irma Thomas

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

You Can Have My Husband But Please Don't Mess With My Man Irma Thomas

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

If I Had a Hammer Irma Thomas and the Blind Boys of Alabama

Live recording from Preservation Hall,

Closing Bed: Wade in the Water Hank Jones and Charlie Hayden

Steal Away, Verve

HOUR TWO

Open Bed: Christmas Blues Ramsey Lewis

The Joy of Christmas Past, GNP

Faraway Christmas Blues Johnny Otis

The Johnny Otis R&B Caravan Savoy Recordings, Savoy

Baltimore Oriole Bob Dorough

Devil May Care, Bethlehem Archives

CLIP: Bob Dorough

Blue Christmas Lumineers

Blue Christmas- Single, Lumineers

Merry Christmas Baby Charles Brown

Blue Yule: Christmas Blues and R&B Classics, Rhino

Instrumental: Greensleeves Jimmy Smith

Christmas Cookin' , Verve

Christmas in Vietnam Johnny & Jon

Merry Christmas Baby, Ronn

SEGMENT: Chuck Siler

Santa Claus is Skaing to Town Granville Williams Orchestra

Natty and Nice, A Reggae Christmas, Rhino

Christmas Is A Coming Leadbelly

Leadbelly Sings for Children, Smithsonian Folkways

J'ai Vu le Loup, Le Renard et la Belette Balfa Brothers

Balfa Brothers Play More Traditional Music, Swallow

Bachata en Navidad La Sonora Matancera featuring Celia Cruz

Celebremos Nochebuena con Sonora Matancera, Codigo Music

Feliz Navidad Los Straightjackets

'Tis the Season for Los Straightjackets, Yep Roc

Instrumental: Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) Duke Ellington

Three Suites, Columbia

Sherburne (While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night) Sacred Harp Singers

Songs of Christmas from the Alan Lomax Collection, Rounder

Cherry Tree Carol Pentangle

Solomon's Seal, Reprise

Greensleeves John Coltrane

The Best of John Coltrane: His Greatest Years, Vol. 2, Impulse

O Day Bessie Jones/ Georgia Sea Island Singers

Songs of Christmas from the Alan Lomax Collection, Rounder

End Bed: Auld Lang Syne John Fahey

John Fahey Christmas Soli, Fantasy