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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZELLIOTT, Ramblin' Jack(b Elliott Charles Adnopoz, 1 August 1931, Brooklyn, NY) Singer, songwriter, guitarist, troubadour; a singing cowboy from Brooklyn. Son of a doctor, like many another American child of his generation he was taken with Gene Autry, until discovering that singing cowboys were a creation of Hollywood. He changed his name to Buck Elliott and ran away from home ('a 45,000-acre ranch in the middle of Flatbush') to join the rodeo. He soon met Woody Guthrie and toured with him until Woody said he 'sounds more like me than I do'. His nickname is said to come from rambling, often hilarious stories among his folk and protest songs. He spent the mid-1950s in Europe, acquiring a large following which had never been able to hear Guthrie; played with Derroll Adams (b 1925 in Oregon) at London's Blue Angel, the World's Fair in Brussels; back in the USA on the West Coast for a year, returned to UK '59, toured with the Weavers, came back to the USA again just as a folk boom was under way. Like Arlo Guthrie, he is major link between a bygone age and today's folk scene. He has recorded with Johnny Cash and Tom Rush; his own records for Topic in England beginning c.1955 included Woody Guthrie's Blues, Jack Takes The Floor, Muleskinner, Roll On Buddy (with Adams), Talkin' Woody Guthrie; later albums on many labels in and out of print included items on Archive of Folk and Columbia; Young Brigham and Bull Durham Sacks And Railroad Tracks on Reprise '68-9; two-disc compilation Essential on Vanguard; two-disc Hard Travelin' on Fantasy and Big Beat; Sings Woody Guthrie, Ramblin' and Country Style on Prestige; Sings Woody Guthrie And Jimmie Rodgers Songs on Monitor; Kerouac's Last Dream '81 on Wundertute/FolkFreak was made in Germany. He contributed to Derroll Adams's 65th Birthday Concerti '91 on Belgiona Waste Production singing 'Don't Think Twice It's All Right'. Red House Records reissued Blues, Rags And Hollers and released South Coast '95, the first full-length album for 20 years. Friends Of Mine '98 on Hightone included guests Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith and Tom Waits. A Stranger Here 2009 on Anti-Records was produced by Joe Henry, who has brought new audiences to veterans like Solomon Burke, Bettye LaVette and Allen Toussaint. Elliott had always sung folk-blues, but for the first time now he tackled the hard black blues of the Depression era. In his over 50 years on the road, he had actually met and/or worked with a great many blues legends; when Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters first played in England, he had been there to greet them. Now his experienced voice was set to do credit to their type of songs. The album included Greg Leisz on guitar, mandolin and slide Dobro, Van Dyke Parks on piano and vibraphone, and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos on guitar and accordion. Elliott toured to support the new record in 2009. |