American Routes

  We'll remember the late singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, through his music and his own words. Then a visit to Rugby, VA for a close listen into sustainable guitars and ukuleles, made by Jayne and Wayne Henderson, of Henderson Guitars. That's coming up tonight on American Routes, starting at 9pm, on 90.5 FM WCBE.

The cover art of Dolly Parton's latest album looks like an airbrushed T-shirt design you might find in a souvenir shop at Dollywood. Both her flawless, beaming close-up and the mountainous skyline behind are her ringed in artist-rendered ribbons of mist, and the rising sun has a painterly, paradisiacal look to it. What gives her Smoky Mountain theme park its character is a combination of rural resilience, commercial sheen and aspirational sensibility.

Coming up tonight on American Routes, Nick Spitzer will talk with a pair of musical couples, to learn the art of sharing the spotlight and making beautiful music together. 

Musical Couples: Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Leroy Jones & Katja Toivola, coming up on American Routes.

Join us for American Routes for two hours of wry humor, outlandish puns and gonzo attitude when host Nick Spitzer sits down with two high-flying musicians: Dan Hicks and Commander Cody.

This week on American Routes, we travel from the Village to dancehall. John Sebastian talks about his childhood in Greenwich Village, encounters with blues greats Mississippi John Hurt and Lightning Hopkins, and the musical stew he created with his band The Lovin' Spoonful.