There are no more essential metaphors to be had in the American story than that of the river. The river is nature’s alliance with mankind and its muse in prose, poetry and song. It is the stuff of dreams, the movement of the clock in Her terms, the news of the day when the banks are breached, and the symbol of biblical ventures of time and home. So we’ll be taking to the river on a Friday in July to feel the warmth of the surface knowing full well that the undercurrent is treacherous and cold beneath the hull. Music this week includes the stories of the Great Flood of 1927 with Barbecue Bob, the baptismal elements from Alison Krauss and Irma Thomas, Central Valley memories from Dave Alvin by way of Merle Haggard, and the poetry of river sounding chants and Paul Robeson’s muscle. Tune in as we drift our way down the Mississippi and beyond on Friday morning on Deeper Roots.

No.
1	Artist	Title	Album	Buy
2	Marilyn Monroe	River Of No Return	The Essential Marilyn Monroe
3	Charles Colman & William Eaton	River Sounding Chant	5- The Long Road To Freedom : An Anthology Of Black Music
4	Paul Robeson	Ol' Man River	American Songbook Series: Jerome Kern
5	Marian Anderson	Deep River	Folk Song America-A 20th Century Revival [Disc 1]
6	Mavis Staples	In The Mississippi River (Cd)	We'll Never Turn Back
7	Johnny Cash	Big River	Original Greatest Hits
8	The Carter Family	River Of Jordan	The Carter Family 1927 – 1934 [Disc 1]
9	Alison Krauss	Down to the River to Pray	O Brother, Where Art Thou?
10	Delmore Brothers	Happy on the Mississippi Shores	Brown's Ferry Blues
11	Tennessee Ernie Ford with Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Billy May	River Of No Return	Capitol Records' From The Vaults, Volume 7 – Capitol Goes To The Movies – 1944-55
12	Louis Armstrong & All His Stars	Lazy River	The Complete Decca Studio Recordings Of Louis Armstrong And The All Stars [Disc 3]
13	Snooks Eaglin	Going to the River	Complete Imperial Recordings
14	Fats Domino	Going to the River	This Is Gold Disc 1
15	Dr. John	Back By The River	Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology [Disc 2]
16	Robert Hicks	Mississippi Heavy Water Blues	People Take Warning [Disc 2] Man Vs. Nature
17	Slocan Ramblers	Mississippi Heavy Water Blues	Queen City Jubilee
18	Joe Shores	Mississippi Sounding Calls [A-1]	Field Recordings, Vol. 3: Mississippi (1936-1942)
19	Jimmie Rodgers	Miss The Mississippi And You	Recordings 1927 – 1933 [Disc 5]
20	Leon Redbone	Mississippi River Blues	Double Time
21	Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra	Swanee River	Swingsation: Jimmie Lunceford
22	Sam Cooke And The Soul Stirrers	One More River	The Complete Specialty Recordings [Disc 2]
23	Irma Thomas With Henry Butler	River Is Waiting	Putumayo Presents Rhythm & Blues
24	John Fogerty	River Is Waiting	Revival
25	Dave Alvin	Kern River	West of the West
26	Doc Watson	Moody River	Memories
27	Doc & Merle Watson	Deep River Blues	Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues
28	Jorma Kaukonen	Red River Blues	Blue Country Heart
29	Johnny Rivers	Big River	The Memphis Sun Recordings
30	The New Christy Minstrels	Mighty Mississippi	Ramblin'
31	Roy Rogers & Dale Evans	Red River Valley	16 Great Songs Of The Old West