TIGHT CONNECTION TO THE HEART OF TEXAS
Dylan has made music with a who's who of Texas' finest music makers. Here's a sample:
Willie Nelson -
Dylan is reported to have met Willie Nelson in 1972 at a recording
session and went to see a Waylon show with him that year.
May 8, 1976, Willie was added to the Rolling Thunder show in Houston to boost lagging ticket sales, and joins the cast for the encore of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."
Dylan recorded Willie's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" in 1982.
Dylan's between-song comments at Live Aid in 1985 prompted the conception of Farm Aid later that year. Dylan played the Sept. 22, 1985 Farm Aid concert with Tom Petty and Willie. Dylan co-wrote and duets with Willie on the song "Heartland" from the 1992 Across the Borderline album, and he brought Willie out to sing it at their double bill in Oklahoma City in September of 2004.
Dylan performed "Pancho & Lefty" with Willie and family at Willie's "Big 6-0" CBS Special taping at KLRU studios in April of 1993. In 2004 and 2005, Dylan and Nelson co-headlined two summer tours of minor league baseball stadiums. At Willie's Picnic In Fort Worth on July 4, 2005, Dylan invited Willie out during his set to duet on Hank Williamsí "You Win Again."
Doug Sahm -
At the San Francisco Press Conference broadcast live on on KQED-TV
Dec. 3, 1965, a reporter asks, "Are there any young folksingers that you
recommend we hear?" and Dylan replies, "I'm glad you asked that...Oh yeah,
there's the Sir Douglas Quintet. I think are probably the best that are
going to have a chance to reach the commercial airwaves. They already have
with a couple of songs."
In October 1972, Dylan played on the "Doug Sahm and Band" sessions in New York's Atlantic Studios with famed producer Jerry Wexler. He plays guitar, organ, harmonica and sings on several songs including "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone," "Faded Love," Willie's "Me and Paul," and Dylan's own "Wallflower," which Dylan's son Jakob will later name his band for.
Doug played She's About a Mover with Dylan and band in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada August 24, 1988. Sir Doug joined Dylan onstage for "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" at Austin Music Hall November 5, 1995. Doug Sahm's version of Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" is on the Hole in the Wall 20th Anniversary Live CD recorded in June of 1993.
Latest Member Update: Cyril Neville played percussion on Oh, Mercy and now resides in Austin, relocated with his family after Hurricane Katrina.
Kinky Friedman -
Was a member of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue 2, which hit the Astrodome
for the Night of the Hurricane benefit for imprisoned boxer Rubin Carter
on January 25, 1976, and Austin's Municipal Auditorium on May 12, 1976.
Charlie Sexton -
Sat in with Dylan at City Coliseum October 25, 1991 and Austin Music
Hall November 4, 1995 and October 27, 1996. Touring guitarist for
Dylan band June 1999 to November 2002. Plays on Love and Theft and
appears in the Dylan film Masked and Anonymous and on the soundtrack.
Tony Garnier -
The former Asleep at the Wheel bassist joined Dylan's touring band
in June of 1989 and is still on the "Never Ending Tour..."
Augie Meyers -
Played with Dylan on the 1972 Doug Sahm and Band sessions, as well
as 1997's Time Out of Mind, & 2001's Love & Theft.
Cindy Cashdollar -
The former steel guitar player for Asleep at the Wheel plays on 1997's
Time Out of Mind and was mentioned by Dylan in his 1998 Grammy acceptance
speech. This was the Grammys where Dylan was joined onstage by the
"Soy Bomb" dancer while performing Love Sick.
Denny Freeman -
Former protege of Stevie Ray Vaughan and current lead guitarist for
Dylan touring band.
Elana Fremerman -
As a member of Hot Club of Cowtown, Fremerman sat in with Dylan while
opening the 2004 Dylan/Willie Nelson co-headlining tour. She
joined Dylan's band in March and April of 2005 while they toured with Merle
Haggard. Fremerman recorded on a track called "Tell 'Ol Bill" with
Dylan and the touring band for the North Country soundtrack released in
Oct. 2005.
Carolyn Hester - Dylan played harmonica on Waco native
Carolyn Hester's self-titled Columbia Records album recorded Sept 30,
1961 and produced by John Hammond. Hester performed Boots of Spanish Leather with Emmylou Harris and Texan Nanci Griffith
at the Oct. 16, 1992 Dylan 30th Anniversary show at Madison Square
Garden. Dylan plays harmonica on Griffith's recording of the
song.
Gene Ramey -
The late Austin jazz and blues elder statesman bassist played with
Charlie Parker, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon before playing
on the John Hammond-produced sessions in November, 1962 that resulted in
the Freewheelin' outtakes Rocks and Gravel and Mixed Up Confusion, but
proved to be a premature attempt at recording with a band. The notes
from this session also indicate that session guitarist Bruce Langhorne
played on the classic acoustic track Don't Think Twice that ended up on
Freewheelin'.
Leon Russell -
Co-produced and played piano on When I Paint My Masterpiece and Watching
the River Flow, recorded in March of 1971 and released in Nov. of 1971
on Greatest Hits Vol 2. Played bass with Dylan at the Concert
for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden August 1, 1971, alongside George
Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Bob Johnston - From Hillsboro, legendary producer of Highway 61 Revisited and several more late 60s Dylan albums.
Tim Wilson - From Waco, legendary producer of several early 60s Dylan albums and Like a Rolling Stone.
Townes Van Zandt -
Dylan performed Pancho & Lefty many times, including June
21, 1989 in Italy and July 1, 1989 in Illinois. Dylan
also performed the Van Zandt classic at City Coliseum on October 25, 1991
where Jimmie Dale Gilmore opened the show and Charlie Sexton sat in on
"Everything is Broken." When he performed Pancho in Cleveland on
July 17, 1991, he introduced it as the only song he knows that mentions
Cleveland. Dylan was spotted at La Zona Rosa at a Townes Van
Zandt tribute concert April 25, 1993 but left abruptly after being harassed
by overzealous fans, among them Troy Campbell. He performed the song
at the taping for Willie's CBS TV 60th birthday tribute that same weekend
in Austin. Dylan's haunting performance of Pancho & Lefty at Bonnaroo
Festival on June 11, 2004 can be downloaded for free at www.bobdylan.com.
Stephen Bruton -
Bruton played on Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid movie soundtrack cuts,
not on the album but in the film. Played guitar (alongside GE Smith) in
Dylan's touring band from August to October of 1990.
Ian McLagan -
Touring keyboardist with Dylan from May to July of 1984.
John Staehely - The Austin
born guitarist who played with Krackerjack, Jo Jo Gunne, Spirit, Robert
Palmer and Jody Watley was one of several guitarists including Steven
Bruton and Cesar Diaz who auditioned in rotation on several shows in
the summer of 1990 and eventually secured a spot in Dylan's touring
band through the fall 1990 dates.
Ian Moore -
Opened for Dylan at Austin Music Hall November 4 and 5, 1995, and sat
in on both encores.
Ray Benson -
Sat in on the encore at Dylan's Austin Music Hall show October 27,
1996. Asleep at the Wheel toured the western US with Dylan from March
11 - April 6, 2000. Benson joined Dylan's band for the encores on March
17 and 24, and on April 6 Dylan introduces him with the endorsement, "They're
the best group I've ever heard, probably... They're the most genuine group."
Carolyn Wonderland -
Jammed with Dylan at soundcheck in Houston in April of 2003 and Atlanta
in April of 2004.
George Rains -
Plays with Dylan on the 1972 Doug Sahm and Band sessions.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan -
Both brothers Vaughan play guitar on Under the Red Sky released in
1990.
Mason Ruffner -
Plays guitar on Oh Mercy 1989. Dylan writes of the Fort Worth
guitarist in his 2004 Chronicles autobiography: "He had bags
of explosive licks with funky edges, rockabilly tremolo-influenced...wrote
some fine songs, too..."
Glen Fukanaga -
Plays bass on Series of Dreams, an Oh, Mercy outtake released on 1991's
Bootleg Series Vol. 3 and 1994's Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 3.
Jerry Jeff Walker -
Dylan recorded Walker's "Mr. Bojangles" for his 1973 album of covers
called Dylan.
Jupiter Records -
On Sept 15, 1999 at the Erwin Center double bill concert with Dylan
and Paul Simon, Dylan announces, "That was off my new record...my
latest record...and you can get it at the Jupiter Record store...you can
get all your records there...Jupiter Records...I get all mine there...anyway,
let me introduce you to some of the finest players in the land..."
Electric Ladyland - Dylan shopped at the South Congress costume
store before his June 21, 1986 concert at the Erwin Center with Tom Petty.
THE POST OFFICE HAS BEEN STOLEN
AND THE MAILBOX IS LOCKED:
From: markzue@netscape.net
Subject: more Dylan Texas connections
Date: September 15, 2007 1:32:37 PM CDT
To: superego@io.com
Hey Paul,
As a prelude to His Bobness' impending arrival here in Austin this
weekend, I have found myself immersed in and enjoying much
Dylanology. Not least among them being Paul's Freewheelin' Bob
Dylan Page revisited. I would suggest a couple of additions to
your Tight Connection to Heart of Texas list, if they meet your
criteria for inclusion.
Carolyn Hester -
You mention her in your timeline, but leave her off this list.
"The Texas Songbird", born in Waco, friend of Buddy Holly, Kerrville
Folk Festival board member, she's an important figure in the folk
revival scene at UT as well as Cambridge and Greenwich Village of the
early 60's. She invited the little known Bob to play harmonica on her
9/30/61 recording sessions for her third LP. During preparations
Bob came to the attention of one John Hammond and as a direct result
was signed to his own Columbia Records deal. (Some accounts
assert that this was his very first studio recording and appearance on
a record, with name credited on the sleeve, released in May '62.
Others, including Bob himself in his book Chronicles Volume One, say
that the first was on Harry Belafonte's "Midnight Special" which was
released in March '62, but as you note, the actual date! of those
recording sessions is unclear, some say June or December '61, others
February '62.) Carolyn was also a major early influence and
inspiration for Nanci Griffith.
Nanci Griffith -
Bob appears on her '93 release Other Voices, Other Rooms, playing
harmonica on her version of his song "Boots of Spanish Leather",
recorded in the summer of '92. Carolyn also appears on this
record, singing harmony with Nanci on Tom Paxton's "Can't Help But
Wonder Where I'm Bound".
This led to Bob inviting both Nanci and Carolyn to appear at the
Madison Square Garden 30th Anniversary Tribute "Bobfest" on 10/16/92,
where they duet on "Boots of Spanish Leather".
For your consideration. Perhaps think twice, it's all right.
Mark
P.S. Maybe I'm dense, and though I have nothing against him, why
is Leon Russell on your list? What does he have to do with
Texas? He's from Oklahoma and as far as I know has never lived
here. I think a case could be made to include others, for
example T. Bone Burnett,
who's at least originally from Fort Worth, before Leon. FWIW
From: superego@io.com
Subject: criteria
Date: September 15, 2007 4:09:34 PM CDT
To: markzue@netscape.net
Awesome! With your permission, will publish this great message
in its entirety on the connections page, and any other insights.
Love it. Thanks for reading.
BTW, the 9/24/65 Austin Press Conference photos I dug up should be on
statesman.com at midnight. I heard they are only using 3, so I
will publish the other 3.
Not sure what the criteria really are, but maybe I should have an
honorary Texans from OK section for Leon, Merle and Woody. Then I
might have to put LaFave...
...one was Texas medicine,
The other was just railroad gin...
take care,
Paul Minor
512-302-1470
www.minorproductions.com
www.myspace.com/paulminorproductions