CD Review

Ramblin' Jack Elliott
The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack (Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
(Vanguard, 2000)

In the short intro, Johnny Cash intones: "He's got a song and a friend for every mile behind him." And Ramblin' Jack has put on a few miles. The subtitle/blurb on this CD says "After Woody Guthrie and Before Bob Dylan there was Ramblin' Jack Elliott. President Clinton also introduces him on this disc, quoting Sam Shepard who called Elliott: "A wandering true American minstrel."

Elliott has never been much of a singer or a guitarist. He's a performer, the consummate actor playing the ageless hobo- cowboy, a walking talking treasury of American folksongs. These performances, recorded live like so many other Elliott releases, include classic after classic: in addition to "Cuckoo" and "Muleskinner Blues" he performs "Hard Travelin'," "Pastures of Plenty," and "1913 Massacre" by Woody; "Don't Think Twice" by Dylan and "If I Were A Carpenter" by Tim Harding. What makes the album stand out are some rare tracks, like a version of "Railroad Bill" where he trades verses with Woody Guthrie. There's also a duet with Bob Dylan on Dylan's 50's sock-hop spoof "Acne." Elliott is a real cut-up and pretty much steals the show - hard to do. "Take Me Home" is a duet with Johnny Cash, with the two improvising a sung intro and then continuing to throw in lines all through. And there is one track, "900 Miles," sung by Odetta. In this context it rings like a tribute to this legendary wanderer.

I've been invited to go to a preview of the bio-pic before it opens next month, but I don't know if I'll be able to get down to NYC to see it. If you manage to see it, I'd welcome your reviews.

For more of my thoughts on Ramblin' Jack, check out my review of his recent 2-disc re-release,

for more info on the movie check out: www.ramblinjack-themovie.com