Marc Cohn with Blind Boys of Alabama
the kate

In 1992, Marc Cohn catapulted into musical stardom with his megahit "Walking in Memphis," claiming the Grammy for Best New Artist that same year. He has since paved his career path by "following good music." With a penchant for the gospel sound and a voice that can take it on, Cohn and Blind Boys of Alabama ignite the stage with "Silver Thunderbird," "Baby King," "Ghost Train," "If I Had a Hammer, " and crowd-pleaser "Walking in Memphis." Blind Boys of Alabama are Cohn's consummate companions and they surprise with their bluesy rendition of "Amazing Grace." Cohn tells THE KATE he has always wanted to play with a gospel quartet and that being with Jimmy Carter, the Blind Boys' remaining original member, just "feels like home." Carter recounts coming up in the segregated South with a drive to succeed, saying, "We were gonna sing gospel, and that's what we've been doing all these years." Having performed as a gospel group for an astonishing 80 years, the Blind Boys of Alabama took home a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

Duration: 56 minutes and 0 seconds

Episode Number: 403

About The Kate:

THE KATE is a new national music series with artistic cred and a bit of edge, infused with the essence of the unabashed, spirited Katharine Hepburn.

The headline-heavy first season features artists who follow the Hepburnian philosophy that "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.

" Ann Wilson, Rickie Lee Jones, and former Saturday Night Livestar Ana Gasteyer, are all breaking new ground in their already-established careers during THE KATE performances.

These artists are iconoclasts, and their performances capture a particular feeling, an artistic vibe located just outside of the mainstream: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ann Wilson pushes her Heart aside and sings the blues; Rickie Lee Jones speaks openly about growing older in the music world; Gasteyer takes a turn as a sassy singer, weaving in comedic moments throughout.

The intimacy of the venue means that THE KATE performers have a risky closeness to their material--and their audience.

British song interpreter Barb Jungr and Broadway star Jarrod Spector round out the season, with the final artist to be announced soon.

Insightful interviews with the performers open each episode, taped live at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, an intimate 250-seat venue in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.


Watch The Kate - Clips, Episodes & Previews




NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham

WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton

WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene

W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover

W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg

Cable and Satellite Channels


NHPBS Five Channels

NHPBS - 11.1

Explore - 11.2

World - 11.3

Create - 11.4

Kids - 11.5

All of our channels and NHK World Japan are streaming LIVE ONLINE and on the PBS App, available on most devices.

Learn More


 

Community Impact

NHPBS NHPBS Passport Passport

Unforgotten | Episode 2
The Marlow Murder Club | Episode 2
Professor T | Overboard
The Last Ecstatic Days | The Last Ecstatic Days
Wisdom Keepers: Healing a Divided People | John Vervaeke - Finding Meaning Through our Common Connections
VOCES | Slumlord Millionaire
Cinema Nomad | Mexico
Impossible Town | Impossible Town
American Masters | Marcella [ASL]
POV | Made in Ethiopia
Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty | Rivalry
Doc World | Call Me Dancer
Grantchester | Episode 8
Walking with Dinosaurs | The Orphan
Patience | Paper Mountain Girl (Part 1)
City of Songs | Seoul
From Fear to Hope: The HIV and AIDS Journey | From Fear to Hope: The HIV and AIDS Journey
Dementia and Living Well | Dementia and Living Well
Grown Up Dad | Screentime Dilemma
Passage | Passage
Blue - The Life and Art of George Rodrigue | Blue - The Life and Art of George Rodrigue
The Underground Railroad: The Paths & Places of Refuge | The Underground Railroad: The Paths & Places of Refuge
Great Performances | Kiss Me, Kate
Cooking With Legends: Lidia Bastianich & Jacques Pépin | Cooking With Legends: Lidia Bastianich & Jacques Pépin
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens | Niwel Tsumbu
Bugs That Rule the World | Beetlemania
Antiques Roadshow | Junk in the Trunk 14
Independent Lens | Who is Michael Jang?
NOVA | Ultimate Crash Test: Impact
Timeless Patriotism: Guam and World War II | Timeless Patriotism: Guam and World War II
Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and World War II | Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and World War II
Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana | Alberta - Canada's Changing Heartland
Miss Austen | Episode 3