Search - Ramblin' Jack Elliott & Derrol Adams, Jack Elliot & Derrol Adams :: America

America? A rare but strange beast!

Mark Oliva | Muenchsteinach Deutschland | 02/26/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The American release of "America" is a strange beast indeed. These 1956 mono recordings of RJE together with the late Derroll Adams are in fine tonal quality and are simultaneously a must for Ramblin' Jack fans and also his least interesting recordings. Woody Guthrie's declining health had forced him to severe the umbilical cord and head out on his own, making a tour of the south with Frank Hamilton and Guy Carawan in 1954 and then heading off with fellow vocalist and banjo picker Adams in 1955 to tour Europe, returning to the U.S. in 1961. The tracks on "America" were among at least 28 songs the two recorded in England in 1956, as RJE had begun developing his own style rather than imitating Guthrie. Until not too long ago in the U.S., only the Tradition album "Early Sessions" offered 12 of the 28 tracks. Died-in-the-wool RJE fans hungered for all 28, particularly after learning of their European release in a two-CD "America"-set on the Czech Gold Sound label (No. DCD-768) in 1996. Now, with this tailored U.S. version of "America" from World of Music, folks in Ramblin' Jack's native U.S. get a bit more, but not enough yet. Missing from the Tradition release are two of the better RJE tracks, "Death of John Henry and Salty Dog Blues." Missing from the Czech release is Ramblin' Jack's youthful but poignant rendition of Elizabeth Cotton's "Freight Train," one of the two or three finest recordings ever made of this great song, along with Leadbelly's "How Long Blues" and Derroll Adams' solo vocals with "Stern Old Bachelor," "The Cuckoo," "Death of Mr. Garfield," "Portland Town, "900 Miles" and "I'm Sad and Lonely." Sad it is. The 28 songs have a total running time of 77:51. They would have fit on one CD."