Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2016-10-16
Hugh's Room
Toronto, ON, Canada

Opening act: Angie Gunn (not recorded)

01 Richard Flohil Introducing Ramblin' Jack Elliott 3:30
02 Introduction 1:23
03 Buffalo Skinners (Traditional) 9:51
04 Any Time (Eddy Arnold) 2:47
05 Pastures of Plenty (Woody Guthrie) 6:02
06 Talkin' Sailor (Woody Guthrie) 6:58
07 Waiting for a Train (Jimmie Rodgers) 3:48
08 San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller) 5:30
09 South Coast (Lillian Bass Ross, Rich Dehr, Sam Eskin) 10:48
10 Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Bob Dylan) 7:51
11 Back in the Saddle Again (Gene Autry) 2:19
12 Mean Old Bed Bug Blues (Bessie Smith) [Intro Cuts In] 3:43

Total: 1:04:29

Recorded on an iPhone 5s about 10 meters back from the stage, dead center.
Tracks split in Adobe Audtion CC 2014.

Jack was in relatively good form this evening. He had his wits about him, and though looking his age he was able to power through an hour's worth of song and story.

The room had a decent enough sound and was a dinner-and-show type of place. I'm not entirely sure how many people were there with genuine interest in Jack, though there were a few old timers who, like myself, brought some items to be autographed. Sadly there were no photographs or videos of the performance allowed.

Throughout the night Jack gave some nice acknowledgements to Canadian legends such as Gordon Lightfoot, Montana Slim (Wilf Carter), Ian Tyson, and Bernie Fiedler (owner of the once historic Riverboat coffeehouse/performance venue in 60s/70s Toronto), as well as his friends and contemporaries: Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Arlo and (of course) Woody Guthrie. Jack was teasing with my own heart by nearly introducing two of my favourites of his renditions - the songs "Will James" (Ian Tyson) and "Me and Bobby McGhee" (Kris Kristofferson), yet not following through with playing them.

Both encores came quite quickly after the main set was over, with Jack barely having enough time to set his guitar down and walk off stage before heading back up. The house lights came on before the second encore, leading me to believe the show was over. I had stopped the recording and therefore the final track cuts in during the introduction. Only a few seconds were missed where Jack begins to talk about Pete Seeger giving him a cake on his 80th birthday - the recording picks up from there.

It was an honour and a pleasure to see someone who truly is a legend, and who's importance in music history is not lost on those his music reaches.

I have chosen to leave the stories/banter attached to the end of the preceding songs, rather than give them their own tracks.


Recorded by shakehurst.

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