Del McCoury And The Preservation Hall Jazz Band On World Cafe

Two venerable entities, Del McCoury and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, were both introduced to the world in 1963. Since then, both have brought their particular brands of roots music around the world — bluegrass for McCoury and New Orleans jazz for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. And both have successfully bridged old traditions with future innovation: Preservation Hall members pride themselves on their historical connection to Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong, and modern country musicians such as Vince Gill and Alison Krauss have marched forth in McCoury's footsteps.

There have been few bands with more authentic connections to the past than this roots supergroup, so it is fitting that their recently released collaboration is called American Legacies. The record does more than just exhibit the refined style of both groups — McCoury and Preservation Hall effortlessly meld bluegrass and New Orleans jazz, marrying finger-picked banjo and fiddle with sousaphone and clarinet.

Hear the supergroup perform songs from American Legacies during this edition of World Cafe. The music for this session was recorded and mixed at WNYC in New York.