The 2017 National Heritage Fellowship Concert and Celebration

For this Thanksgiving weekend special, we serve up a heaping course of sonic delights and give thanks to the artists and artisans keeping American roots cultures alive. Every year since 1982 the National Endowment for the Arts has presented Heritage fellowships — America’s highest honor in “folk & traditional arts.” We hear music from past award recipients including swamp boogie chanteuse Carol Fran and bluegrass crooner Del McCoury. And we go live to the 2017 NEA Heritage concert for songs and stories from Puerto Rican percussionist Modesto Cepeda, Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Cyril Pahinui, conjunto accordionist Eva Ybarra, Appalachian buck dancer Thomas Maupin, Danish accordionist Dwight Lamb, Piedmont blues harp player Phil Wiggins, folk music teacher Ella Jenkins, Alaskan weaver Anna Brown Ehlers and Armenian metalworker Norik Astvatsaturov.

HOUR ONE

Open Bed: On-Stage Performance The Maryland and Delaware Singing and Praying Bands

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2014,

Rock of Ages Sherman Holmes

Sherman Holmes Project/The Richmond Sessions, M.C. Records

The Blues Rollin' In Del McCoury

Streets of Baltimore, McCoury Music

SEGMENT: Cephas & Wiggins

Instrumental: Spiritual Charlie Haden and Hank Jones

Steal Away: Spirituals, Hymns and Folk Songs, Verve

CLIP: Elaine Hoffman Watts

Shtetl Ias Elaine Hoffman Watts

I Remember Klezmer, Self-published

Love's Gonna Live Here Again Polka Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones

All American Country Flavored Polkas, Bel-Aire

La Porte Dans Arriere Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy & DL Menard

En Bas Du Chene Vert, Arhoolie

SEGMENT: Carol Fran

Instrumental: Sing On Treme Brass Band

New Orleans Music, Mardi Gras Records

CLIP: Dr. Michael White

Shake It and Break It Dr. Michael White

Crescent City Serenade, Antilles

Shake It Baby John Lee Hooker

Serves You Right to Suffer, MCA

Jump For Joy Campbell Brothers

The Campbell Brothers: Pass Me Not, Arhoolie

CLIP: Mavis Staples

Long Walk to D.C. The Staple Singers

The Complete Stax/Volt Singles Vol. 2 '68-'71, Stax/Volt

Closing Bed: Midnight Sun Chuck Brown

The Best of Chuck Brown, Raw Venture

HOUR TWO

Open Bed: Guitar Rag Phil Wiggins

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

SEGMENT: Dwight Lamb

Jake's Best Reel Dwight Lamb

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

Grandfather's Three-Part Polka Dwight Lamb

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

SEGMENT: Nork Astvatsaturov

SEGMENT: Eva Ybarra

Ven Regresa a Mi Eva Ybarra

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

Instrumental: Sandi Guez Polka Eva Ybarra

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

SEGMENT: Modesto Cepeda

Felicidad Modesto Cepeda

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

Bomba de Puerto Rico Modesto Cepeda

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

SEGMENT: Ella Jenkins

You Sing a Song, I'll Sing a Song Dan Zanes and Claudia Eliaza (performing Ella Jenkin's song)

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

SEGMENT: Anna Brown Ehlers

SEGMENT: Cyril Pahinui

Aloha Ka Manini/Hi'ilawe Jeff Peterson and Sean Robbins

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

Instrumental: Eighth of January Benton Flippen

Old Time, New TImes, Rounder

SEGMENT: Thomas Maupin

Down Yonder/Shortening Bread Thomas Maupin

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

SEGMENT: Phil Wiggins

Anacostia Two-Step Phil Wiggins

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

No Fools No Fun Phil Wiggins

American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,

Closing Bed: Will the Circle Be Unbroken Dr. Michael White

Blue Crescent, Basin Street Records

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Rhythm & Blues into Rock & Roll: Fats Domino, Billy Boy Arnold and the Tedeschi Trucks Band