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RIBBON
OF HIGHWAY-ENDLESS SKYWAY: CONCERT IN THE SPIRIT OF WOODY GUTHRIE
To summarize what Woody Guthrie did for the social consciousness of our country cannot be justified in one paragraph. What we should remember is that he was a man who picked up a guitar and used his voice, personality and wit to speak for the poverty stricken, working class folk of his era, and speak for the people that time tends to forget. His insights, stories and music traverse the emotional spectrum and resonate through the years so that we don't forget. This year, The Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway tour carries on the spirit of this true national hero. For those unfamiliar with Woody, it'll be an unforgettable lesson in American history. These artists are carrying on the torch for a man with a simple, but profound message.
In what NPR has called "...certainly one of the best tours of the year!", the show saddles up again with tour originator Jimmy LaFave, Eliza Gilkyson, Slaid Cleaves, Johnny Irion & Sara Lee Guthrie, Michael Fracasso, Kevin Welch, Ellis Paul and Joel Rafael. Following the inevitable success of the first tour in February, the fall series will be even better. Through the massive audience response, the artists have seen what this event means to Americans everywhere, and how it has made a difference in the lives of people who only knew Woody's name. "We're really trying to showcase all facets of Woody Guthrie," says LaFave. "He was so many things besides a songwriter -- a painter, a philosopher, a soldier, a supporter of the disenfranchised. His songs were just the tip of the iceberg. He was the spirit of America." The camaraderie between the artists is evident as they share the stage to sing on familiar Guthrie songs, and even on some lost songs that never had music, but have been composed by the musicians. The collaborations are astounding and touch every nerve of the human heart.
The success of the tour has also led to the production of what will be an indispensable live CD of the concert to be recorded on the first day of the fall tour at the infamous Newport Folk Festival. What a fitting place for these gifted entertainers to celebrate the works of the legend who started it all.
JIMMY LAFAVE
This tribute is the brainchild of the "red dirt" musician. Like Woody, Jimmy also called Oklahoma his home and credits his style to the experience he had there as a young man and as an aspiring songwriter. His passion, his tireless researching of Guthrie's writing and music archives, and his precise scripting and coordination of the concert are all evident throughout the event. Jimmy performs, night after night, glowing in a dream that he brought to fruition: to share in the remembrance of an oft forgotten hero.
ELIZA GILKYSON
Eliza contributes to the line up not only as an acclaimed chanteuse, but also as a metaphysical kindred spirit. Both Woody and Eliza base their writing on empirical truths discovered over their journeys. Both use their earthy, familiar voices to express the subtleties that escape us daily, but move mountains and conquer nations. And both speak of ongoing introspection and personal growth, and never resting upon their laurels. Eliza is a natural fit for the celebration.
SLAID CLEAVES
Cleaves is another contemporary artist who blends country, folk and rock into his own distinct style. This is evident in the critical and commercial success of his latest record "Broke Down". The album includes Woody's "This Morning I am Born Again", which fits perfectly into the theme of Slaid's record: that the road through life is arduous, but it is through persistence and pain that we prevail. This mirrors Woody's lyrics for the song that state of complete happiness and clarity happens not after death, but throughout life, even in the darkest moments. Cleaves' message throughout "Broke Down" reiterates this inspirational notion.
KEVIN WELCH
This native Oklahoman has acquired quite a resume since dropping out of high school and joining a bluegrass band in the seventies. Since then he has been in various bands and lived in Nashville where we wrote songs that eventually were recorded by such luminaries as Jimmie Dale Gilmore, The Highwaymen, The Judds, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, Charlie Pride, Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis, Conway Twitty, and Trisha Yearwood. He is also one of the founding members of Dead Reckoning Records. He has traveled Europe extensively where he has recently found some friends in Denmark to record an album with. His vivid lyrics and sincere delivery make it seem as if Welch writes his songs on the front porch with his listeners.
MICHAEL FRACASSO
Fracasso's flawless tenor voice is quite the opposite of Woody's character-laden gravel throat. Fracasso grew up in a working class steel mill town in Ohio with Italian immigrant parents. He was on his way to a masters in English when his career in music took hold. His fans and peers include Lucinda Williams, Charlie Sexton and Patty Griffin to name a few. Woody's influence on Fracasso is evident in the songs. They have the ability to reach out to people and touch them. Woody's younger sister Mary Jo Guthrie Edgman created the beautiful folk art cover on his latest "Back to Oklahoma."
THE BURNS SISTERS
The Burns Sisters Band is redefining the boundaries of Acoustic Folk/Country Music. Infused with lush vocal harmonies and World-class musicianship, the sisters take listeners on an emotional roller-coaster ride to heights of joy, through valleys of longing and doubt, and back again. The lovely sisters, Annie, Marie and Jeannie harmonize with heartfelt spirit. Marie Burns explains, "Woody Guthrie's music makes me feel good about the choices I have made in my life as an artist. When I listen to his lyrics, a spark is reignited, and I am reminded of the importance of speaking my mind, standing up for social justice, and to remember to have a good time through it all."
JOEL RAFAEL
Described as a natural interpreter of Woody Guthrie lyrics and songs, Joel Rafael's most recent album, Woodeye, was released early this year. The record contains Rafael's versions of thirteen Guthrie songs done with the intention of bringing to the ears of this generation the magical and prophetic work of the visionary that has inspired him daily, in the hope that it will inspire others.
SARAH LEE GUTHRIE
Sara Lee is not only the granddaughter of Woody, but also an amazing songwriter with the voice of an angel. Onstage she radiates. This is not only performance, but a family legacy that she delivers with passion and grace. Besides Eliza Gilkyson, she is the only other woman on the tour, but she represents the new generation of folk heroines, steeped in the music that she has been exposed to her entire life. With her first self titled album on the family owned and operated Rising Sun Records, she assures that the Guthrie legend will span to a century and beyond.
JOHNNY IRION
This rock and blues journeyman may not have figured into a mix of folk artists revering the grandfather of their calling, but Irion's vagabond soul is in harmony with Guthrie's search for self and truth out on the open road. Irion's music harkens to the days of 70's era country rock with his excellent guitar work and sweet high tenor melodies that are perfect for FM radio. He is married to Guthrie's granddaughter, and despite their flourishing individual careers, they tour together as a dynamite acoustic duo. Their version of Woody's "They'll Be No Church Tonight" is glorious.
ELLIS PAUL
This Boston folk singer wears his inspiration on his sleeve, for there, etched on his upper arm, is a tattoo of Guthrie, a reminder to Paul that their purposes in life are the same, to be an honest writer, a journalist in a sense, writing about real life in our times, which is at times uplifting, but also dark. This is part of the commitment that Paul undertakes as they as he sits and writes, and as he hits the road to deliver his thoughts. Traveling is as important to Paul as it was to Guthrie, hence Notes from the Road, a book of collected stories and poems that he has penned over the years. His own music blends the catchiness of rock and pop, with the ephemeral lyrical imagery of a painter. The Boston Globe calls Paul "the quintessential Boston songwriter; literate, provocative, and urbanely romantic." He is all this and much more.
BOB CHILDERS
When Jimmy LaFave was still in the planning stages of creating The Ribbon of Highway~Endless Skyway tour he knew that he needed his old friend Bob Childers to narrate Woody's words and bring his authentic wit and wisdom to the affair. Childers is affectionately known as "Dylan of the Dust". LaFave jokes that Childers doesn't have a phone so he had to put the word out on the "hobo circuit" and a few days later Bob was on board for the 23 city tour in the late winter of 2003 which NPR called, "...certainly one of the best tours of the year!" Bob Childers seems to be an almost mystical embodiment of the Red Dirt spirit.
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