The Never Ending Pool

alternative (close-up) video of San Francisco Bay Blues (December 16, 2007):




from the same show: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight




he soldiers on, in spite of laryngitis

.
In England, some 50 years ago, when Bob Zimmerman was in Grade 11 or 12, Jack Elliott recorded this song:

"Dink's Song"

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jfzojf

Thanks Warren for that nice version of "Dink's Song"..I seen to recall Mance Lipscomb doing a version..Am I correct?..Peace..

.
Don't know, offhand, MONK. Lipscomb being from from Texas, and the song having Texan origins, would seem to suggest that there's a fair chance that he did record it or sing it.


I played a drop-dead gorgeous song, some hours ago, posted below. The occasion was a gathering of friends and fellow musicians to celebrate Derroll Adams' 65th birthday, in October, 1990 (Adams, born in 1925, died FE 6th, 2000, and was best known for his "Portland Town." Attending his celebration, and performing, were Bert Jansch, Jackie McShee, John Renbourn, and bassist extraordinaire, Danny Thompson. Put another way, Pentangle (minus drummer, Terry Cox). Also present, was Happy Traum, a Bob pal from wayback, and Ramblin' Jack. There were some other gifted musicians present, including Hans Theessink and Wizz Jones.

Here's the Traditional song, "The American Stranger," arranged and played by Happy Traum. Stunning guitar-playing, strong vocals, great sound, sung before an audience gathered in Derroll's honour (his actual birthday was in late November).

http://www.sendspace.com/file/w26913


More of Happy Traum's music is available from:

http://www.homespuntapes.com/

Yes Warren I agree with you..The sound and performance by Happy are wonderful..Happy has a brother named Artie I believe..Woodstock boys as I recall..Happy was the one who recorded some sides way back in '71 with Bob..Later released on Greatest Hits Volume Two..My brother who is a pretty fair guitar player is a fan of one of the Traum brothers slide guitar playing..We had a blues band:"The Furnature City Slim Band"..Man those were the days!!(When we were still slim!) HA! Elmore James and J.B.Hutto meet George Thorogood!Years ago he had a VHS of slide guitar instruction from Homespun..Mance Lipscomb recorded several albums for Arhoolie back in the 60's..Thanks for bringing all these memories back to my mind..Keep up your excellant work..Peace my Brothers and Sisters..

.
Ramblin' Jack will be at this year's Dylan Days, in Hibbing. He'll perform a song on Bob's birthday in the Hibbing High School Auditorium.

.
Excerpt from a recent interview with slide-guitarist and John Lee Hooker producer, Roy Rogers:


Roy Rogers


Michael [Shea]: Tell me about the oral history recording of Ramblin' Jack Elliott that you're producing. Is this in the spirit of what Alan Lomax did?

Roy: I produced a couple of records for Jack, The Long Ride and Friends of Mine. I've been friends with Jack now for, oh boy, at least ten years. Maybe a little more. And the thing about Jack Elliott is that he's truly a living legend. He is the link between Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. He was the last guy to hit the road with Woody Guthrie, when Woody was still traveling.

Jack didn't write a lot of material. But, he's got stories and he has inspired more people than you can think of. We're talking across the water too. He was one of the first folkies, folk artist to go across to England. He made recordings in England in the mid-'50s. He's got stories about meeting the Stones, not just people here. When he came back to Greenwich Village in the early '60s he was already the old man. Dylan and Phil Ochs and all those guys, they were the new kids. He had already been there in the '50s and late '40s with Woody Guthrie. [Not so. Elliott met Guthrie in JA, 1951. The source is Tom Russell's Hotwalker album and the song, "Woodrow," wherein Ramblin' Jack talks over a telephone.]

He recorded prolifically throughout his career. I want to get the stories and his narratives because people need to hear them first hand. He’s got an incredible memory about things in general and his travels have taken him far and wide. He's got stories about Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and on down through the Rolling Thunder Review and farther. And he's inspired so many people. Johnny Cash loved Ramblin Jack Elliott!

I wish Johnny Cash was still living. He would certainly make a contribution to tell people what a guy Rambling Jack is. Those kinds of people are what I'm talking about. So, I'm in the process of doing this recording and I have him up to 1963. There's a long way to go. We've done early stuff, we've done family stuff and I've got to get him back in the studio and do maybe a couple, two or three more sessions. We've already got, probably, a thousand hours worth. I'm gonna edit it and it'll probably be two or three CDs. And you know, he keeps his guitar handy, so if he feels like going into song. It's not about recording his songs. But, if it helps him tell the story, that's what we do. It's a very cool situation, very cool. And I hope to have some special guests make some comments.

You know, Wavy Gravy's a dear friend of Jack. I can't tell you enough good things about Jack Elliott. He's just one of those people that I think a lot of younger people are not familiar with. How could they be? They're not really familiar with his recordings. Anyway, that's my latest project. I'm about ready to start writing for my new record that I hope will come out in the fall, maybe this year. I'm in no hurry. But, I'm sitting on this record with Ray Manzarek. It's done. We may do a more blues oriented record. I'm the kind of guy that when it comes to projects, I kind of got to get in the mood. It's got to strike me that now's the time to do it. I'm fortunate that way. In the meantime, there's lot of places to play.

Note: Bolded text is mine.

http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004251.html

.
Wavy's birthday party May 15

Wavy Gravy will celebrate his 72nd Birthday on Thursday May 15th with a Benefit for Camp Winnarainbow at 142 Throckmorton Theatre, in the heart of Mill Valley.

Featuring
Moonalice with G.E. Smith, Pete Sears, Barry Sless, Jimmy Sanchez, Roger & Ann McNamee with special guests
Mickey Hart & Barry Melton
Jonathan Richman
David Nelson
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Emory Joseph & Woody Vermeire
Wavy Gravy & the Clown Conspiracy

Show 7:30 (doors 7:00)
Pre-show reception 6:00 – 7:00
General Admission Tickets $35

Circle of Schmooze Tickets $100
These include special seating, access to the pre-show reception and an autographed event poster.

To purchase tickets please visit 142throckmortontheatre.org and click on tickets, or call 415-383-9600.

Camp Winnarainbow is a Circus and Performing Arts Camp run by Wavy Gravy and his wife Jahanara Romney for over 30 years. Your ticket purchase is a contribution to Camp Winnarainbow and the Grace & Joy Scholarship Fund, which allows economically challenged children to attend camp. Camp Winnarainbow is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Circle of schmooze tickets are tax deductible as applicable by law. Please visit campwinnarainbow.org for more information.

The Throckmorton Theatre is located at 142 Throckmorton Ave. in the heart of downtown Mill Valley. (Corner of Throckmorton Ave. and Madrona St.) Visit 142throckmortontheatre.org for directions.


This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 8:10 am and is filed under General discussion.

http://cloudsurfing.gdhour.com/?p=781

For those in the Bay area:

Ramblin Jack Elliott
And Country Joe McDonald

An Evening of Song, Stories, Wit, Wisdom and Much More . . .

Living Legends Share Stage for the
First Time in Berkeley April 25 & 26th

Berkeley CA- It is hard to believe that two of music's living legends and long time evangelical Woody Guthrie devotees had never broken bread together. Three weeks ago, Ramblin Jack Elliott and Country Joe McDonald met for the first time for dinner at Café de la Paz in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, and something special happened. Jack picked up a guitar and started playing Woody Guthrie's Ladies Auxiliary and Country Joe, who has been performing his critically acclaimed tribute to Woody for several years, dropped his jaw when Ramblin Jack sang some long forgotten stanzas to the popular old Union ballad. After hours of swapping lies, stories and lessons on text messaging, the two decided to do an intimate one-time only show right in the Café de la Paz's intimate (100 seat) Fiesta Room.

WHERE: Café de la Paz 1600 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA
WHEN: Friday & Saturday, April 26 & 27th

My thoughts on Ramblin Jack

He was hot when he was young and still is.

Hot ...



...still hot.

chimneys has spoken.

This one slipped under the radar.


"Recorded at the Thistle Hotel, Barbican, London [in FE, 2005]. It was a bitterly cold day and Jack had just flown into town with his daughter for a short but intense British tour and to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Radio 2 Folk Awards. I was interviewing him for a piece in The Telegraph. We sat at a small table in the hotel restaurant and Jack regaled me with stories and songs. About Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. About sailing ships, cowboy poets and rodeo clowns. About Jack Kerouac and adventures in Ireland. Settle back and enjoy."

John May, Interviewer



http://www.sendspace.com/file/739qzw

If interested, you will learn more about Elliott's relationship with Dylan, over the decades, than in anything published that I am aware of, including "The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack."

There is also a lot about Jack as a young guy, in particular. Off the top of my head, the following are cited, and Jack does vocal imitations of a few, and imitates Bobby and Bob, several times:

Woody
Lead Belly
Tom Paley
Liam Clancey
Kerouac
Ginsburg
Bob Neuwirth
Victor Maimudes
Peter LaFarge

This said, the inevitable rap about sailing ships, masts, ropes, cords, harbour captains, nautical flags, and so forth, precedes the artistically-related topics, generally speaking. Interestingly, given that this discussion takes place in London, Derroll Adams' name does not surface. It no doubt would have if they had had another hour to spare. Incidentally, some of the anecdotes are hilarious.

37MB, 70 minutes.

The female voice, which is only heard a couple of times, is probably Jack's daughter, Aiyana.

That was wonderful, Warren - thanks!

i attended a concert by the man himself just a few days ago. one of my favorite venues, this little church that doubles as a venue for folk, blues, and general "roots" music. near-perfect acoustics, capacity of about 250, a place where i've had the good fortune to both see and meet richie havens (twice), honeyboy edwards and jack once before.

he played two sets this evening. a couple songs in, he started having trouble with his guitar (something about a battery needing to be replaced) and after trying to fix it himself for a while, it was taken backstage and tinkered with, allowing him to just sit there and tell stories. he talked about clarence white, meeting lead belly, talking with earl scruggs, 'dylan days' in hibbing (at which he is to play this year), the history of his old guitar (the one that was currently being fixed backstage), letting his dog drive a volvo (but how you should never under any circumstances let one drive an RV). to my surprise this actually disappointed some attendees (someone behind me said something to effect of "he better play a song cause if he just keeps talking i'm gonna leave". i also overheard someone outside during intermission talking about "the worst set i'd ever seen&quot, and i noticed the pews in front of me to be a bit sparser after intermission. they shouldn't have been there anyway.

i got to meet jack himself during intermission (one of the many things i love about this venue is the fact that the artists usually come out into the social room to talk with people and sign autographs). i was planning on complimenting him on his version of 'tom thumb's blues' from the 'i'm not there' soundtrack and then asking him about the last time he saw bob, but the lady next to him (he later said to be the wife of guitarist roy rogers) was trying to move things along as there was a sizable line. i did however managed to get a handshake and "r. jack elliott" signed on my copy of 'i stand alone' and asked him to play "pastures of plenty", to which he said "well sure, that's a good one".

i found out during the second set that he had a few requests, namely "jack of diamonds" and "912 greens", which he apologized for not being able to remember and offered to play "219 blues" instead, from which he said "912" was partly derived. after those he went back into the list of songs he had planned. at this point i thought he had forgotten "pastures of plenty", but at the end of the show he pointed to me in the audience and closed the show with the song! i think that warrants an exclamation mark.

i jotted down the set on a church donation envelope, here it is for anyone interested--

san francisco bay blues
leaving cheyenne
freight train blues
sadie brown
don't think twice, it's all right

-intermission-

jack of diamonds
219 blues
stewball
ol' shep
pastures of plenty

It's a mighty hard road ...being an entertainer.

Thanks for your review, TFA. My guess, not that Elliott can't tell a story, poorly, is that not having his guitar to cradle and play a few notes, here and there, rattled him a bit.

Good one about getting your request for "Pastures of Plenty" played, and for being non-verbally cited.