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Baton Rouge guitarist, harp player and singer Kenny Neal is a second-generation leader in the city’s blues scene, born into a family of ten children. Kenny’s father Raful Neal was a noted harmonica player, influenced by Little Walter and played in a local band with Buddy Guy. Raful Neal’s friend Slim Harpo gave son Kenny Neal his first harmonica at age three. Kenny started playing bass for his father at thirteen and went on to Buddy Guy’s band. Later, he recruited his siblings to form the Neal Brothers Blues Band. In 1989, Kenny recorded a breakout swamp blues LP Big News from Baton Rouge for ..read more

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Evan Christopher began playing clarinet in junior high school in Long Beach, CA. His first introduction to New Orleans music was hearing Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens with Johnny Dodds and Artie Shaw on his dad’s records. Evan moved to New Orleans in his early 20s. Here he worked as a steamboat clarinetist by day and explored the music scene on Frenchmen Street by night. He went on to collaborate with Tom McDermott, Al Hirt, the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Galactic, and others. His “Clarinet Road” led him from Socal to New Orleans, San Antonio, Paris, and he now resides in New York Cit ..read more

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Donald Harrison is known as a modern jazz saxophonist here in New Orleans, and although he grew up hearing parades and funerals in his youth, his major influence was at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, under his teachers like Kidd Jordan and Alvin Batiste. Harrison spent years in New York City as one of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and later co-lead a modern jazz band in New York with New Orleans trumpet player Terence Blanchard. But Harrison never forgot his New Orleans roots…a place where jazz is still dance music. He also came home to his father Donald Harrison, Sr.’s tradition ..read more

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The late Dr. Lonnie Smith of B-3 organ fame was a native of Buffalo, NY, where he got noticed sitting in with Jack McDuff. Lonnie Smith moved to New York City to join George Benson’s quartet and scored a solo record deal with Columbia. “Doc” Smith mixed jazz, soul, blues and pop in his own compositions, as well as covers of Coltrane, Hendrix and Beck. Growing up, Lonnie Smith sang gospel songs in church and at home. His brothers played guitar and drums. Lonnie’s first instrument came to him magically, he says, “almost like in a movie ..read more

The Historic New Orleans Collection spotlights former Congressman Bob Livingston ..read more

This is American Routes for St. Patrick's, with singers, fiddlers and pickers from Ireland to Appalachia live in this hour. Sharing Irish, bluegrass and country tunes with one another at the 80th National Folk Festival. Beginning with brothers Rob and Ronnie McCoury playing banjo and mandolin on stage in Salisbury, Maryland, 2021 with Ronnie's tune, " Quicksburg Rondevouz ..read more