(CelebrityAccess News Service) – On September 28, Public Radio International affiliate stations nationwide will begin broadcasting The Blues, 13 hour-long radio programs hosted by Grammy Award-winning bluesman Keb' Mo'. The series, produced by Robert Santelli of Experience Music Project Radio and Ben Manilla of Ben Manilla Productions, will be broadcast on more than 225 stations nationwide. The Blues radio series is presented by WGBH Radio Boston and exclusively sponsored by Volkswagen.
"With its deep historical roots and complex evolution, the blues is truly the soundtrack of the American experience," said Robert Santelli, Experience Music Project director/CEO and noted blues historian. "The Blues radio series affords an in-depth look at the rich history and development of the genre. Today's artists lend their talents as we pay tribute to the founding fathers of the blues and look expectantly towards the future."
The Blues radio series chronicles blues music from its roots in West Africa; its spread through the rural south to the high-energy blues scenes of Chicago, London, and Memphis; its survival through the lean '70s; resurgence in the '80s; and growth into today's thriving blues communities. Each episode of the thirteen-part series features new and archival interviews with blues legends, prominent contemporary artists, record producers, and historians combined with historic and modern-day blues recordings to create the most extensive blues-based radio series ever produced.
In addition, the series includes performances of seminal blues songs by contemporary artists and visits to blues venues such as the Delta Blues Museum, Chess Studios in Chicago, and Beale Street in Memphis, emphasizing the music's contemporary connections and demonstrating that blues music is alive and well in the 21st century.
The 13 episodes include:
Episode 1: Birth of the Blues–Ghana
Episode 2: Goin' Up the Country–Mississippi Delta
Episode 3: T'aint Nobody's Business If I Do–Harlem, NY
Episode 4: Standin' at the Crossroads–Mississippi Delta
Episode 5: Mystery Train–Memphis
Episode 6: Sweet Home Chicago–Chicago
Episode 7: Key to the Highway–Newport, RI
Episode 8: Blues Power Locale: London, England
Episode 9: Bring it on Home–San Francisco
Episode 10: Gimme Back My Wig–Chicago
Episode 11: Texas Flood–Austin, TX
Episode 12: When Love Comes to Town–New Orleans
Episode 13: Future Blues–Seattle, WA
— Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
