[ Blues guitar playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Edgar: My name is Jacob Edgar.

I'm an explorer, but I don't search for lost cities or ancient ruins.

I'm on the quest for a different kind of treasure -- music.

[ Man singing in native language ] ♪♪ As an ethnomusicologist and world-music record producer, I travel the globe hunting for the best songs the world has to offer and I suffer through some of the worst so you don't have to.

♪♪ I've got a backstage pass to the world's music and I won't stop until I've heard it all.

♪♪ [ Rock music playing ] Lonesome Drifter: ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ I'm just an eager boy, who from the country came ♪ ♪ Selected by a group who thought I'd bring them fame ♪ ♪ I'm planning for my future, someday, I'll be great ♪ ♪ I'm hopin' to be leader from my state ♪ ♪ Papa said they treat me like a toy ♪ Edgar: I'm on a musical journey of discovery through Louisiana, a state where great music is as abundant as the Spanish moss that hangs down in masses from the cypress trees in the waters of the bayou.

Lonesome Drifter: ♪ ...weary ones to see the light ♪ ♪ I don't believe this world can pass us by ♪ ♪ I think we can succeed if we only try ♪ ♪ Papa said they'd treat me like a toy ♪ Edgar: I'm leaving the marshy bayous and heading to the dusty plains and pine forests that surround the city of Shreveport, Louisiana's third-largest city, that's just a stone's throw from East Texas.

While I'm pretty familiar with the music scenes of both New Orleans and Lafayette, I've never been to Shreveport and I know very little about the music that comes from the area.

♪♪ Lonesome Drifter: ♪ Well ♪ ♪ I wanna go to Washington... ♪ Edgar: Will it have the same contagious spirit as that of its neighbors to the south?

I must admit, I'm a little worried that I won't find much and maybe I'll just end up killing time dropping quarters into the slot machines at the city's ubiquitous casinos.

Lonesome Drifter: ♪ Because I'm just an eager boy ♪ ♪♪ Edgar: Traveling from Lafayette to Shreveport, on the freeway, there was some accident or something.

Trucks and cars backed up as far as the eye could see.

So we drove the wrong way off the exit, and now we're in the back roads.

And I think we're heading to Shreveport.

But we'll be all right.

We'll get there eventually.

I've got my deep-fried peanuts.

You can eat them shell and all.

And we're listening to some great Louisiana music, so I can't complain.

Before I left Lafayette, I was lucky enough to get some local knowledge about Shreveport from singer and songwriter David Egan, who grew up there.

It looks like now people are going back to the grassroots.

The culture growing up in Shreveport, you could see guys that were all about "The Louisiana Hayride."

You could see cowboys.

And I hate to be the old geezer, but those were some -- those were some good things about them days, you know?

♪♪ Edgar: Finally, I end up in the city locals proudly call "Louisiana's other side."

♪♪ My first stop is to meet up with one of Shreveport's most successful musicians, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, a blues and rock guitar virtuoso that has been compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan and who was selected by Guitar World magazine as the best blues guitarist after B.B.

King and Eric Clapton.

And that was when he was just 20 years old.

[ Blues music playing ] Kenny Wayne has flown all the way from his current home in Los Angeles, where he lives a glamorous Hollywood rock-god lifestyle, to show me around the city that made him the musician he is today.

♪♪ According to Kenny Wayne, the best place to start any musical journey through Shreveport is at George's Grill, which is a regular hangout for most local musicians and the spot that inspired one of his biggest hit songs, "King's Highway."

♪♪ Joining us at the table is Buddy Flett, a local musical icon and one of Shreveport's most respected songwriters.

♪♪ If you want to run into the local musicians, this is where they all hang out.

Edgar: Alright.

And, as you can see, we ran into Buddy Flett here.

There he is.

Legend.

He almost lives here, as well.

Edgar: Oh, yeah?

You a George's regular?

You can call me on the phone.

Here?

You can call up George's and say, "Is Buddy there?"

Yeah.

Yeah.

"Or pass me to Buddy"?

Yeah.

Yeah.

"Tell Buddy to hurry up.

He's supposed to be someplace."

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ When I was a kid and I put my band together and I was kind of struggling, didn't have a lot of money, I'd come here every day after school and I would have lunch.

And there was many, many times where I didn't have the money, and George would always cover me.

You know, he'd be like, "Eh, just get me next week."

You know, and they'd put the check underneath the counter, and "You just come back in and take care of it when you can."

Oh, that's great.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Ironically enough, one of the songs off my second record is called "King's Highway," and that's the street that's right outside this door is East King's Highway.

And that song was about a relationship that I was in, and it was an event that went down here at George's.

I don't know if you know this.

I was over there.

Oh, he was here at the time.

Yeah.

Of course.

A witness.

Yes.

And it was my very first girlfriend and I. I picked her up, and we drove up here.

We got into a bit of an argument.

It became somewhat of a public argument here in the restaurant.

And then she decided that she was done and she was going to walk home from here.

So she just took off out the door and headed on down King's Highway on her own.

♪♪ Egan: ♪ Over the levee off of Dixie Garden Road ♪ ♪ Was Mr. Money's acres all perfectly rowed ♪ ♪ And loaded-up trucks bound for every local grocery store ♪ ♪ And all the Riverside schoolboys knew ♪ ♪ He had a temper like a bee-stung mule ♪ ♪ And there were no kids ♪ ♪ Trespassing on Money's farm ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ They took Mr. Money's best ♪ ♪ I was too young ♪ ♪ That's why they wouldn't take me along ♪ ♪ And I was glad that I had not gone ♪ ♪ They was a mess when they made it back home ♪ This is the house that my dad grew up in.

This was my grandparents' house.

And when I was a kid, both my parents worked full-time jobs.

My mom worked two jobs sometimes.

So me and my sister spent the majority of our time here with my grandparents growing up as kids.

And, you know, I learned my very first notes on a toy guitar with nylon strings in this house.

The blues always just resonated with me, even at a young age.

I don't know.

I think a lot of it is just the honesty in the music.

It really -- You know, I connected with that.

But the playing, man, the playing -- when you play the blues, you're supposed to play straight from the heart.

And when you tap into the heart, like, in its most natural state, if you really tap into that and you play it and you're feeling it, then the people that are listening to it are going to feel it, too.

And it doesn't matter how old you are, you're going to feel it.

♪♪ Because of my dad being so into music in his radio days and stuff, I was pretty well-aware of the musical heritage of the Shreveport area.

You know, and as a result of living here, man, I got to tell you, I got exposed to so many different kinds of music that I don't think would have otherwise been possible, because, I mean, we have our own music scene here in Shreveport, but this location is really amazing.

We're just surrounded by all these different kinds of music, and everybody passes through Shreveport at some time or another, you know, when they're on the road.

So we get a lot of great shows that come through here, as well.

Egan: ♪ Trespassing on Money's farm ♪ Edgar: I didn't realize before I got here that the legendary folk and blues musician Lead Belly is originally from the Shreveport area.

Lead Belly recorded hundreds of traditional folk songs, including classics like "Midnight Special" and "House of the Rising Sun," and his originals include "Goodnight, Irene," "Sylvie," and countless others.

Kenny Wayne and Buddy Flett take me out to Lead Belly's grave site, which has become an off-the-beaten-path destination for fans of American roots music.

Surrounded by the graves of Lead Belly's family and the eerie pine forests, they perform one of his iconic songs, an old folk tune called "In the Pines," or "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"

It's an inspired choice, not only because the creepy lyrics and the melody fit the setting perfectly, but also because it was famously performed by Nirvana, which just goes to show you how far-reaching Lead Belly's influence has been.

♪ Black girl, black girl, don't you lie to me ♪ ♪ Tell me, where did you sleep last night?

♪ ♪ In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine ♪ ♪ I will shiver the whole night long ♪ This is a nice little monument to one of the biggest blues legends ever to play the blues.

Lead Belly had a tremendous impact on this area, obviously.

He spent a lot of time here and is buried up here in Mooringsport, where we're at now, right outside of Shreveport.

And, you know, we just noticed on the way in -- I always came here to see Lead Belly.

I never paid much attention to who else was buried here, but, obviously, his whole family.

♪ My girl, my girl, where'd you go?

♪ ♪ I'm goin' where the cold wind blows ♪ ♪ In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine ♪ ♪ Shiver the whole night long ♪ ♪♪ He's a pretty amazing guy, led definitely a colorful life, but he left his mark on Shreveport.

They named a part of downtown after him.

They call it Ledbetter Heights, which was the name of my first album.

You know, I did that as a nod to my hometown and also to Lead Belly.

And he's the only guy that sang his way out of prison, from what I understand.

♪ In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine ♪ ♪ Shiver the whole night long ♪ ♪ Whole night long ♪ ♪ In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine ♪ ♪ Shiver the whole night long ♪ ♪ Whole night long ♪ ♪ In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine ♪ ♪ Shiver the whole night long ♪ ♪ Whole night long ♪♪ ♪♪ Warwick: ♪ Well, all I ever really ♪ ♪ Wanted to do ♪ ♪ Was to sing in a rockabilly band ♪ ♪ Oh, yes ♪ Edgar: Lead Belly isn't the only famous musician whose statue can be found in Shreveport.

And it turns out one of the greatest names in rock 'n' roll got his start right here.

Yes, the one-and-only Elvis Presley performed for a major audience for one of the first times in Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium, whose stage was the home of a radio program called "The Louisiana Hayride."

Warwick: ♪ Who became quite a man ♪ Edgar: While "The Louisiana Hayride" is long gone, the halls of the Municipal Auditorium still resonate with musical history.

The dressing room Elvis used during his time in residency here is practically unchanged from the 1950s.

♪♪ ♪ By the way you move ♪ ♪ Nothin' about you, baby, I don't approve ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, baby ♪ Edgar: Singer and songwriter Maggie Warwick got her start performing in "The Louisiana Hayride's" house band, and she's become an important advocate for the preservation of this historically important venue.

And she's even pushing for the eventual revival of the radio show that made Shreveport a significant city in the history of American popular music.

♪♪ ♪ Baby, take it outside ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, baby ♪ ♪ Come on, don't take long ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oooooh ♪ You have a personal connection to this place.

What was your original involvement here?

Well, Jacob, when I was about 15 years old, the great Johnny Horton invited me to sing on "The Louisiana Hayride," and that's when it began.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪♪ First of all, why did it end?

And what was it like for the community when it did end?

Well, it was a big loss to the community to lose "The Louisiana Hayride" show, because it brought people in, and it was known worldwide.

It was broadcast every Saturday night.

So it was a continual promotion element for Shreveport and for Louisiana.

And it was such a great starting place for artists.

I mean, think of all the great artists that began here.

In fact, it's known as the "Cradle of the Stars."

♪ Oooooh ♪ [ Vocalizing ] Oh, pickin' again now!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ We have some wonderful plans to restart "The Hayride" as a regular show every Saturday night.

And we're going to cut some hits out of Shreveport again.

Alright.

♪ By the way you move ♪ ♪ Nothin' about you, baby, I don't approve ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, baby ♪ ♪ Come on, don't take long ♪ Edgar: There's another statue standing next to Elvis in front of the Municipal Auditorium, that of guitarist James Burton, a Shreveport native who's played with hundreds of legends in the history of rock and country music.

♪♪ A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 2001, Burton is worshiped by many as one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

♪♪ Egan: ♪ I remember ♪ ♪ On the day that we wed ♪ When I did my show in 2005, they unveiled the statue.

I knew nothing about it.

Oh, really?

You were surprised?

And I was really surprised.

I mean, we were all standing around, and they unveiled it.

And, man, I was shocked.

Egan: ♪ How any voice could sound... ♪ Edgar: When did you start playing with Elvis?

Because you didn't play with him during the time he was at "The Hayride," but you started playing with him... 1969.

Okay.

And he called me and asked me to put a band together.

And how long were you playing with him?

Nine years, up till he died.

Wow.

It must have been quite an experience playing with Elvis Presley.

Yeah, he was a great guy.

Egan: ♪ A little more...♪ There's so many memories here, and I wanted to come back here and invite my friends and play on this stage.

And that's when I formed my foundation, James Burton Foundation.

I wanted to get music back in schools and be able to buy guitars and put them in the hands of kids in schools.

I don't know what the exact figure would be, but we bought like several thousand guitars, you know, and so we're still working the program.

♪♪ I was playing in a blues band, and the singer was Dale Hawkins.

And so I wrote a little instrumental, and Dale wrote some lyrics to it and it became "Susie Q."

Right.

So, and I was 14 years old when I wrote that.

That's right.

You wrote the riff for "Susie Q."

Right.

[ "Susie Q" plays ] Edgar: Sitting amidst years of photographs in his office, Burton treated me to a sample of his trademark licks, including the chicken-pickin' style he pioneered.

♪♪ I'm starting to get a much better understanding of the rich musical environment that inspired Kenny Wayne Shepherd as he was growing up in Shreveport.

This city really is a crossroads between the deep African-American traditions of the South and the country music, western swing, and rockabilly that predated rock 'n' roll.

♪♪ After hanging out with Kenny Wayne and his musical friends and inspirations, I decided to step out a bit and see what other kinds of music Shreveport had to offer.

I'd heard about a local band called Dirtfoot, who describe their music as "gypsy punk country grumble boogie."

♪♪ ♪ You should buy yourself a big boat and travel around the sea ♪ ♪ Jump up on a big Learjet and fly to Italy ♪ ♪ Buy yourself a diamond ring and a big shiny car ♪ ♪ Girl, I'll love you no matter where you are ♪ ♪ You are my girl ♪ All: ♪ My girl ♪ ♪ Yeah, you're my girl ♪ Everybody!

All: ♪ My girl ♪ ♪ I'll travel around the world ♪ ♪ And run around in circles ♪ ♪ And you can see that it's just me ♪ ♪ And we are really perfect ♪ ♪♪ Yeah.

It doesn't matter what kind of day you had.

It doesn't matter if you just got fired, your girl just broke up with you, whatever the case is.

You listen to -- I mean, you come to a Dirtfoot show, you are playing with the band.

You are -- All your woes, man, they just go away.

It's just you forget about everything but that moment.

And I think that's what people dig about it.

You know, it's just very... there it is, ugh!

♪ I'll travel around the world ♪ ♪ And run around in circles ♪ ♪ You can see that it's just me ♪ ♪ We are really perfect ♪ Edgar: My visit to Shreveport corresponds with the days leading up to Mardi Gras, and the city works hard not to be outdone by their neighbors to the south in putting on an uproarious parade and bacchanalian ball.

It's a nice way to end my journey to Shreveport, a city that's really surprised me with its rich musical history.

I didn't realize so many legends have a connection to this town, and I feel blessed to have had a chance to spend time with Kenny Wayne and his friends.

♪ You can see it's just me ♪ ♪ And we are really perfect ♪ ♪♪ Edgar: While the Shreveport Mardi Gras is a lot of fun, I'm ready to head back south to the city known around the world for its annual carnival celebrations.

I'm ending my Louisiana adventure in one of the world's ultimate musical destinations, the Crescent City, the Big Easy, the city that care forgot, the birthplace of jazz, the one, the only New Orleans.

[ Blues guitar playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪