John Cephas and Phil Wiggins were modern ambassadors of the Piedmont blues

To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, we’re cataloging 25 objects that define the country’s history.

John Cephas and Phil Wiggins were modern ambassadors of a fingerpicking regional acoustic blues style developed mainly in Virginia and the Carolinas: the Piedmont blues.

Smithsonian Folkways director and curator Maureen Loughran speaks with Here & Now's Robin Young about how the genre — and this duo — fits into the story of America.