This week we celebrate the simple joys that have always bound American music together. Deeper Roots travels back nearly a century—from the roaring jazz of Ethel Waters, Fletcher Henderson, and Coleman Hawkins to the contemporary wit of Kacey Musgraves—finding common threads of laughter, resilience, friendship, and the everyday pleasures that make life worth living. Along the way we’ll make a party heavy stop in New Orleans with Aaron Neville, Fats Domino, James Booker, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, and Art Neville, then head into the hills with bluegrass, country, and Appalachian traditions as the road we ride takes us from Oklahoma to Kentucky. With deep blues, gospel, western swing, big band classics, and timeless folk ballads all sharing the same stage, our show this week revels in music that reminds us there’s always another reason to celebrate the journey.