Stories from the Road with Brandi Carlile & Meschiya Lake 

We hit the open road to hear tales of adventure and woe from honky-tonkers and hobos, train hoppers and busking bohemians. En route we talk with Washington folk singer Brandi Carlile, who dropped out of high school to cut it as a touring musician, and New Orleans’ Meschiya Lake, about her journey from circus performer to jazz chanteuse. Driving on in search of mythic America, we hear the voices of its discontents: Woody Guthrie, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Wilco, and Pops Staples. Plus, we “Ramble On” with Lucinda Williams before coming down with a case of “Travelin’ Blues” from Jimmie Rodgers. By planes, trains, and automobiles, we journey across our country’s musical landscape with stories from the road.

HOUR ONE

Open Bed: Somewhere Bill Frissell

Big Sur, Okeh

I'm a Honky Tonk Girl Loretta Lynn

Gold, MCA Nashville

Paper Wings Gillian Welch

Boots No. 1 The Official Revival Bootleg, Acony

Settin' the Woods on Fire Hank Williams

40 Greatest Hits, Mercury

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way Waylon Jennings

Dreaming My Dreams, RCA Victor

The Golden Age of Radio Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter, self-released

Instrumental: Last Date Floyd Cramer

Here's the Answer, RCA Victor

SEGMENT: Brandi Carlile

The Sound of Silence Brandi Carlile with the Hanseroth Twins

Live at Benaroya Hall, Columbia

America Simon & Garfunkel

Bookends/Simon & Garfunkel, Columbia

Instrumental: Anji Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel/Sounds of Silence, Columbia

Normal American Kids Wilco

Schmilco, Anti-

Sin City Flying Burrito Brothers

Gilded Palace of Sin, A&M Records

Dixie Flyer Randy Newman

The Randy Newman Songbook, Nonesuch

Down in Mississippi Pops Staples

Peace to the Neighborhood, Virgin

Mother Earth Tracy Nelson

Mother Earth, Reprise

Closing Bed: Last Date Willie Mitchell

Robbin's Nest, Hi Records

HOUR TWO

Open Bed: Swipsey Cakewalk Tom McDermott and Evan Christopher

Danza, STR Digital

I'm Going to Live the Life I Sing About In My Song Mahalia Jackson

The World's Greatest Gospel Singer, Columbia

Gimme a Pigfoot Bessie Smith

The Bessie Smith Story- Volume 2, Columbia

Backwater Blues Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns

Lucky Devil, self-released

Travelin' Blues Jimmie Rodgers

Travelin' Blues, RCA Victor

Rapid City, South Dakota Kinky Friedman

From One Good American to Another, Fruit of the Tune

Instrumental: Parlor for the Crawlers Leroy Jones

Back to My Roots, LJ Records

SEGMENT: Meschiya Lake

Railroad Lady- Live at the Dance Hall, Luckenbach, TX 1977 Jerry Jeff Walker

A Man Must Carry On, UMG

Starlight on the Rails Utah Phillips

Good Though, Philo

Instrumental: Dixie Flyer Blues DeFord Bailey

Pan American Blues, Suncoast Music

Railroadin' Some Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas

Going Away Blues, Shanachie

Goin' Up the Country Canned Heat

Under My Heels, Hip-O

Ramblin' On My Mind Lucinda Williams

Ramblin' , Smithsonian Folkways

Going Down the Road Feeling Bad Woody Guthrie

The Asch Recordings, Smithsonian Folkways

Closing Bed: Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad Grateful Dead

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Grateful Dead Live in NYC , Grateful Dead Records

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New Orleans' Preservation Hall Perseveres & Remembering Hugh Masekela