Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Ramblin' Jack Elliott: Young Brigham



 Born in Brooklyn, Ramblin' Jack Elliott was not interested in following in his fathers footsteps to become a surgeon. Elliott was drawn to the rodeos that were happening at Madison Square Garden and this city boy wanted to be country through and through. Eventually he found a rodeo to travel with but eventually his parents tracked him down and dragged him back to Brooklyn. It was upon his return he befriended Woody Guthrie and viewed the man as a friend and inspiration. The chain of influence from Guthrie to Elliott was passed on by Elliott to Bob Dylan when he arrived in New York City from Minneapolis. Elliott's sound is classic Amerciana, blending folk, bluegrass and country. Young Brigham, released in 1968, has Elliott covering Guthrie, Dylan and even The Rolling Stones, plus several songs written by Elliott himself. In the end, this is a great folk record with country undertones. Its clean, simple and has a wonderful rich sound to enjoy. Ramblin' Jack Elliott is a singer/songwriter is someone that seems to have gotten swept under the rug of popularity since he surrounded himself with names biggert han his own. Regardless, he hung around these greats because he had the same skill and passion as them and that is heard when you hear his music.

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