Ramblin Jack Elliott Recent News

Ramblin' Jack Elliott to play in Bob Dylan tribute event

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:10:00 -0700

A host of incredible artists will come together to play a tribute to Bob Dylan on November 9th, 2006 at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center. Included is this incredible line-up is Ramblin� Jack Elliott, along with Patti Smith, The Roots, Ryan Adams, Cat Power and many, many more.

Event information is available at the link below:

The Music of Bob Dylan Event Page

San Diego Tribune cover Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 00:08:00 -0700

Ramblin' Jack Elliott, the legendary folk singer who passed Woody Guthrie's legacy on to Bob Dylan, turned 75 Monday. And after decades of watching more driven performers enjoy the success he's never experienced, now he's ready to get serious about his career.

�I've never had that (drive), but I'm starting to get it now, belatedly. I figure, what the hell? I've been asleep at the wheel all this time,� Elliott said. �I'd like to get another motor home so I can travel in comfort, because that was the only time I did enjoy traveling around playing gigs. My motor home burned to the ground two weeks after my wife passed away here (Point Reyes, where he's lived for 15 years).�

Careerwise, he was steadied by a Grammy for the 1996 album �Southcoast� and a 1999 National Medal of Arts, and his current musical home is Anti-Records, known for harboring punk bands and, at times, country icon Merle Haggard. His new album, the impressive �I Stand Alone,� finds Elliott going solo when he's delivering such vintage tunes as Hoagie Carmichael's �Hong Kong Blues� and the Carter Family's �Engine 143.�

On several songs Elliott is joined by bassist Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), drummer DJ Bonebrake (X), accordionist David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and dobro player Nels Cline, as well as vocalists Lucinda Williams and Corin Tucker (of the soon-to-be-missed Sleater-Kinney). Actually, Elliott was literally alone on those songs, as well.

�I've never met those people. They were added on in L.A. in the studio. I've heard of them, but I've never met them face-to-face,� Elliott said. �The recording business is done in studios and they use mirrors. It's not a real thing. It's like movies.�

In contrast, �The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack,� the 2000 movie documentary shot by Elliott's daughter, Aiyana, is very much the real thing. It depicts the cowboy-intrigued Ramblin' Jack, born Elliott Adnopoz and the son of a Jewish Brooklyn doctor, as he first ran away (at age 14) to join the rodeo, and then, a half-century ago, to London and on to Europe.

Having absorbed the American folk music of Guthrie and Leadbelly, and brandishing an oversized cowboy image, Elliott became an immediate sensation in Britain. Intriguingly, he mirrored that success there earlier this year when he performed at the ultra-hip happening All Tomorrow's Parties.
�It was amazing. It seems like they've been laying in wait for me,� Elliott said. �They're all new young people.�

After three years of hard traveling in the late 1950s, Elliott returned to New York City. Guthrie was in the hospital, fighting a long battle with the degenerative disease Huntington's chorea, and Elliot went to visit. �And there was Bob Dylan. I didn't know who he was, had never heard of him. And he'd been hanging out and visiting Woody in the hospital for several months by this time � this was November of '61.�

Elliott, whose nickname probably derives less from his travels than his detail-rich, tangent-prone stories, was impressed by the young Dylan.

�I was amazed by that kid. And he was, of course, always asking me a lot of questions about different things and, �How do you play that, anyway?' � Elliott said. �I'd show it to him, I didn't mind. He was a pleasant person to hang out with. A little strange, a little shy.�

ByMikel Toombs

Ramblin' Jack Elliott garners praise from the press!

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:07:00 -0700

FOLK ICON RAMBLIN� JACK ELLIOTT EARNS RAVE
REVIEWS FOR I STAND ALONE

�NATIONAL TREASURE� PLOTS HIGH PROFILE PERFORMANCES

American folk legend Ramblin� Jack Elliott is drawing some of the best praise of his career with I Stand Alone, his Anti- Records debut and first album in seven years. Released July 11th, accolades for the disc � which Ellliott is supporting through select, high profile North American performances � have been mighty and plentiful.

Enduring folk figure Elliott � who was mentored by and collaborated with folk music pioneer Woody Guthrie and at age 75 has five decades of genre authenticity under his guitar strap � has delighted a new generation of genre loyalists. As evidence, RELIX proclaimed I Stand Alone �as sweet as ever�; American Songwriter called RJE �a national treasure�; and ALARM insisted, �Appreciate this living icon while you can, because folk music doesn�t get any more real than Ramblin� Jack Elliott.�

On I Stand Alone, Elliott � a Grammy winner (for 1996�s Southcoast) and a recipient of the 1999 National Medal of Arts from President Clinton � receives the sparse accompaniment of modern artists like Flea, Lucinda Williams, Wilco�s Nels Cline, David Hidalgo, Sleater-Kinney�s Corin Tucker and X�s DJ Bonebrake. Additional compliments for the project are as follows:

� I Stand Alone ranks among his very best efforts. His voice is richer now that it's aged; it's full of authority, wisdom, and a certain kind of madness��It's a fantastic introduction to Elliott for newbies, and authoritative proof that he's not only still got it, but he just keeps getting better.� � All Music Guide

�This Woody Guthrie disciple�s 75-year-old voice is weathered and wobbly but remains remarkably versatile. He growls, coos, mumbles and shouts, discovering new life in gritty old tunes that cover folk music�s basics: trains, dogs, love, death, and booze. Au courant guests (Flea, Lucinda Williams, Sleater-Kinney�s Corin Tucker, guitarist Nels Cline) add twang and sparkle, but never get in Elliott�s way.� � SPIN

�Now a feisty 74, this folk icon has just made one of his best albums, which, in a career spanning more than 20 records and 50 years, is saying quite a bit�..I Stand Alone distills Elliott�s artistry to its very core (and it�s very best)�..An album that masterfully dusts off the legend of one of America�s musical treasures�� BOSTON GLOBE

�I Stand Alone removes him from the slick studio settings of his last couple of albums and puts his impetuousness and eccentricity front and center. Many of the cuts are just voice and guitar, marked by Elliott�s idiosyncratic time measurements and creaking, croaking voice, which ranges from loopy to unexpectedly heartfelt. Elliott has recorded a lot of these songs before, but from the playful vamp of Hoagy Carmichael�s �Hong Kong Blues� to the prairie howl of �Leaving Cheyenne,� He tells each story and finds each feeling as if for the first time... A self-invented character, he virtually oozes personality and is blessed with the storytellers gift.� � LOS ANGELES TIMES

�There�s no doubt that Ramblin� Jack Elliott represents a different time in America, a bygone era of campfire hootenannies, boxcar trains and true outlaws. The moment he lets out that gravelly, whiskey-soaked bawl, you�re transported to both the Old West and the days, a half-century ago, of his first album Woody Guthrie�s Blues. Elliott, soon to be 75, remains a drifter and desperado at hear � and a storyteller in the great frontier tradition.� � Vanity Fair

On July 22nd in Bristol, Tennessee, Ramblin� Jack will tape an appearance for the Mountain Stage radio and television programs. His performance will be distributed for Fall 2006 broadcast to over 100 public, college and commercial affiliates, XM Satellite Radio and worldwide via the Voice of America. On June 24th he performed to 4 million faithful listeners of Garrison Keillor�s Minnesota-based A Prairie Home Companion program.

Ramblin� Jack Elliott�s Tour Dates are as follows:

July 20, Bluebird Caf�, Nashville, TN
July 22, Mountain Stage TV and Radio, Paramount Center For The Arts, Bristol, TN
August 4, Tangier, Los Angeles
August 5, Largo, Los Angeles
August 6, Acoustic Music, San Diego
August 30, Wildwood Spring Lodge, Steelville, MO
October 7, The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
October 11, Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA � With Merle Haggard

Inside Entertainment reviews the new Ramblin' Jack Elliott CD

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:07:00 -0700

Still ramblin� at 75, Elliot�s been around since Woody Guthrie. A onetime cowboy turned hobo, he�s hung out with beatnicks and Deadheads and starred in Bob Dylan�s Rolling Thunder Review roadshow. His flat-picking is vintage folk-blues and his voice, now deliciously craggy, bears the mark of many traveled miles on songs like �Arthritis Blues� and �Leaving Cheyenne.� Despite the presence of fans like Lucinda Williams and Red Hot Chili Peppers� Flea, Elliot, a bona fide living legend, owns the whole spotlight.

Nicholas Jennings
Inside Entertainment
Summer 2006

Stream the new Ramblin' Jack Elliott album!

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:07:00 -0700

The new album by Ramblin' Jack Elliott, I Stand Alone, is out now, but you can hear the entire thing on AOL Music! Simply hit the link below to access the album and enjoy.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott Album Stream

Ramblin' Jack Elliott triumphs at All Tomorrow's Parties

Wed, 24 May 2006 00:05:00 -0700

�Gruff, Hobo Folker� Hand-Picked By Devandra Banhart
Conquers U.K., Sets U.S. Appearances

Two months ahead of his long awaited Anti- Records debut, I Stand Alone, American folk icon Ramblin� Jack Elliott has already captured the heart of U.K. folk aficionados. On the strength of his recent, stellar performance at All Tomorrow�s Parties, Elliott -- hand-picked by by ATP curator Devandra Banhart for the world famous event -- reaped scores of accolades for his May 14th appearance.

Writing about the folk legend last week, Time Out London�s Chris Parkin wrote, �[Jack] might not have [Bob] Dylan�s fortune but I bet Bob�s old pal is having a lot more fun.� Elsewhere, acclaim for Ramblin� Jack�s Glasgow, Scotland gig found The Herald�s Rob Adams touting Elliott�s performance as �a moment to savour�.

If Bruce Springsteen�s recent recorded homage to Pete Seeger has become a gateway to American folk music�s past, the 75-year old Ramblin' Jack Elliott continues to look forward despite five decades of authenticity under his guitar strap. After all, it was the enduring Elliott (much like Springsteen�s tribute-subject Seeger) was mentored by and collaborated with folk music pioneer Woody Guthrie.

Among the live renditions of Elliott�s forthcoming material is a heartfelt tale of his very last road trip with Guthrie. Called �Woody�s Last Ride,� it�s just one in a number of moving entries on I Stand Alone, arguably the most poignant album in his storied career.

Elliott�s history as one of folk�s most enduring characters � the aforementioned Time Out dubbed him a �gruff, hobo folker� � has yielded approval from genre devotees of all ages. As a living link between Guthrie, Seeger, Dylan and artists like Lou Reed, Beck and The Grateful Dead (who he used to open for), Mr. Dylan himself has gone so far as to call Elliott his �long lost father.�

If avid supporter Banhart has been instrumental in turning a new generation of folk fans onto Jack, he isn�t the only young genre-loyalist. Elliott receives sparse accompaniment of artists like Flea, Lucinda Williams, Wilco�s Nels Cline, David Hidalgo, Sleater-Kinney�s Corin Tucker and DJ Bonebrake on I Stand Alone.

On the heels of his U.K. success, Elliott � a Grammy winner (for 1996�s Southcoast) and a recipient of the 1999 National Medal of Arts from President Clinton � is slated to appear on a Fall 2006 installment of Mountain Stage. To be taped this July at the Paramount Theater in Bristol, California, the program will be shot in High Definition and distributed to over 100 public, college and commercial affiliates, XM Satellite Radio and worldwide via the Voice of America.

Ramblin� Jack will also tour North America in the second-half of 2006 in support of I Stand Alone. Elliott has just confirmed two Los Angeles shows planned on August 4 at Tangier and August 5 at Largo. He will also be a featured act at The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, to be held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park this October.

TimeOut London talks Ramblin' Jack Elliott live!

Thu, 18 May 2006 00:05:00 -0700

Ramblin' Jack Elliott + Jack Staggers + The Velvet Roots
Recommended - Fri May 19, Borderline

This gruff, hobo folker � whom Mama Cass once declared the sexiest man alive � has one hell of a story. He left home at 14 to join the rodeo, where he learnt to play guitar from a clown; he stayed with Woody Guthrie for two years in the early �50s; hung out with Alan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac in Greenwich Village, before stealing their girlfriends; and used to open for The Grateful Dead. Oh, and there�s the small matter of meeting Bob Dylan at Guthrie�s deathbed and taking the youngster under his wing.

No less important, he also had a big impact in the UK. He landed here in 1955 with wife June (an ex-girlfriend of James Dean) and took full advantage of the UK folk and blues revival. His link to Guthrie and olde America made him an instant hero and the likes of Davey Graham and Bert Jansch would listen to Elliott tell stories about Guthrie and play his songs.

Still ramblin� at 75, he�s enjoying a reappraisal and returns to plug his forthcoming album, �I Stand Alone�. It features his trademark flat-picking blues licks, weathered yet cheeky vocals and a poignant tale of his last road trip with Guthrie, �Woody�s Last Ride�. With Lucinda Williams, Flea and Sleater-Kinney�s Corin Tucker all guesting on the record and an appearance at All Tomorrow�s Parties at the behest of Devendra Banhart, he�s now been discovered by a new generation. He might not have Dylan�s fortune but I bet Bob�s old pal is having a lot more fun.

Chris Parkin, Mon May 15

www.timeout.com

Boston Globe covers Ramblin' Jack Elliot show

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:05:00 -0700

Elliott's a ramblin' man, and his fans are much better for it: Ramblin' Jack Elliott isn't just a folk icon who's been around since Woody Guthrie and inspired five decades of fellow musicians. At nearly 75, he's the coolest grandfather you never had. Consider: Jack went hang gliding the other day. Jack's off to the UK for a ''hellbent" tour of England starting Sunday. Jack does killer impersonations of Bob Dylan.

At Club Passim Monday night, Elliott gave a performance as wry and immediate as anyone one-third his age.

Alone and peering out from below an ivory-colored cowboy hat that tamped down a tangle of thick gray hair, Elliott said he was embarking on his ''mud-season tour" -- ''bringing sunshine to New England, a thankless task."

True to his nickname, Elliott can spin some fabulous tales, sometimes with 15-minute interludes between each song. He remembers the good old days with Derroll Adams and Big Bill Broonzy, but he's also aware of renewed interest in his music from younger generations. (As if the packed audience, with a middle-aged woman knitting across from a 20-something man in a Pixies T-shirt, didn't make this clear already.)

Elliott's excellent upcoming album, ''I Stand Alone," will be released in July on the hip indie label Anti- (home to folks such as Neko Case and Blackalicious). ''I don't know what they're anti, but I'm all for it," Elliott quipped.

He sang a handful of songs from the new album, which features collaborations with Lucinda Williams, Flea, and others, and part of his set's urgency came from these new songs. To be certain, they're old as dirt, but they're also songs -- ''not for the tourists," as Elliott called them -- that he stopped performing decades ago for whatever reason.

A song like ''Rake and Ramblin' Boy" couldn't be more suited for Elliott's voice, which, craggy and weathered, now befits a line such as, ''I am a rake, but a ramblin' boy/ There's many a cities I did enjoy."

He dedicated Elvis Presley's ''Old Shep" to the memory of his departed canine companion Caesar, a faithful hound dog who used to steal the show from Elliott with his stage antics. Of course, this is Ramblin' Jack, so who knows how much of that story is true?

And how, exactly, do you steal the show from a man as dynamic and engaging as Elliott? On Dylan's ''Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," Elliott's fluid finger-picking was a marvel, matched only by his speak-sing vocals that cracked and crooned in all the right places. He recalled how Dylan, with light reflecting off of his ''halo," decided to ''relinquish" the song to Elliott after hearing him perform it at an open mike.

No permission was needed, though. It was all Elliott's.

By James Reed, Globe Staff | May 11, 2006