Description

Since Tom Rush’s 1962 debut as an unknown folk-blues musician on the Boston/Cambridge music scene, he has established himself as a consummate performer and singer-songwriter well-known for his “golden ears” in discovering new talent (he was the first to record songs by then-unknowns James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell).

To mark his five-decade career anniversary, Tom chose to revive his much-missed annual “Club 47 Series” (named after the Boston coffeehouse that was the city’s early folk HQ). He organized a holiday concert at Boston Symphony Hall last December, performing his own set and hosting old friends (fellow Appleseed artists David Bromberg and Jonathan Edwards, Buskin & Batteau) and new (Dom Flemons of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops string band) as featured performers and as backing musicians for himself and each other.

The sounds and sights of this historic and delightful concert at now available on Tom’s new 2-disc live CD/DVD, Celebrates 50 Years of Music. On the 13-song CD and 17-song DVD, Tom displays his intimate, conversational baritone vocals, adept guitar-work, relaxed charm and droll humor in a program encompassing all phases of his career – the folk-blues of “Drop Down Mama,” a rocking “Who Do You Love,” his best-known composition, “No Regrets” (a hit in four different genres as recorded by other artists), the definitive version of Joni Mitchell’s “Urge for Going,” and recent originals “Hot Tonight” and “What I Know,” among other signature songs.

In the inclusive “Club 47 Series” spirit, Tom is backed by a stellar house band that includes many of his guests when they’re not in the spotlight themselves. David Bromberg steps out front on the acoustic “Statesboro Blues” and the raucous shuffle “Tongue” (a bonus track on the DVD). Jonathan Edwards contributes a heartfelt rendition of the ’60s anthem, “Get Together,” and the title song from his most recent CD, “My Love Will Keep.” There’s a hilarious song on the DVD called “Jews Don’t Camp” by New England-based folk veterans Buskin & Batteau, who also perform the delicate “Lancelot’s Song (Guinevere)” on the CD. The “new guy,” singer and multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, makes himself at home on the old-timey “Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” and Jimmie Rodgers’ “My Little Lady.”

DVD bonus features include interviews with Tom and behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, as well as the four extra songs and onstage banter. When you listen to and watch and laugh and sing along as Tom Rush Celebrates 50 Years of Music, the vibrant spirit of contemporary folk music will be reaffirmed.

Here’s what the press had to say about this release:

“Live records can be hit-or-miss, but this one will endure just as Tom Rush has. . . . it’s a fitting slice of Rush’s remarkable life. . . . . The essentials are here – from the table-setting ‘Hot Tonight’ to crowd favorites ‘Drivin’ Wheel,’ ‘Urge for Going,’ and ‘No Regrets/Rockport Sunday.’ Rush is singing with more soul as he ages, and his band fills in the gaps, including Bromberg on electric slide guitar and Robin Batteau on a sweet-soaring fiddle and mandolin.” — Steve Morse, Boston Globe

“… A delightful singer . . . Rush makes each song seem as dependable and solid as the earth itself, somehow mixing a wistful weariness in his voice with an underlying and unerring joyfulness, the same sort of thing he’s been doing for half a century now. That he’s still doing it as well as he ever has is a testament to his talent and character. He’s never gone chasing after the gold ring of stardom and fame, and that he still isn’t chasing it somehow makes this anniversary set all the more powerful.” — Steve Leggett, AllMusic

“Well known but never really going mass market, even though one of his greatest claims is recording killer songs before anybody else, Rush struts his stuff in his old stomping ground and shows that he’s kept his hair, voice, looks and talent. This is a set of utterly excellent folk/pop from one of the architects of the sound that still knows how to bring the right stuff today.” — Chris Spector, Midwest Record

“While his solo performance of “Child’s Song” is emblematic of his style and much of his career, here he is accompanied by a full band that fills in and expands his sound without distracting from the music’s original intent … Rush is a master storyteller, whether they be his own words or someone else’s. These stories permeate the performances and leave a lasting impression of his importance in the stream of American music … [A]n appropriate way for him to honor his life’s journey in music.” — David Bowling, Blogcritics.org (syndicated)

“Tom Rush offers an inspiring overview of a career that reaches back to the seminal days of the ‘60s folk renaissance. Gathering a host of friends and fellow travellers – Jonathan Edwards, Buskin & Batteau and David Bromberg among them – Rush presides over a magical evening filled with exceptional music and magical memories … [A] satisfying sampling of songs that have become an indelible part of the modern folk lexicon … Tom Rush’s celebration is clearly an occasion that everyone can embrace. (4 stars)” — Lee Zimmerman, Blurt Magazine

“It’s all good honest affectionate and good-humored musicianship … As mementos of a key occasion go, this is both a faithful record and a worthwhile acquisition for the long-term Rush fan, and additionally a fitting celebration that reaffirms the vibrant spirit of contemporary folk music through Tom’s trademark involving, conversational style and delivery.” — David Kidman, NetRhythms

“(Four stars)” — Arthur Wood, Maverick

“Singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen now, but Rush still occupies a different landscape, one where his congeniality and knack for story-telling reign supreme above the quacks who pick up a guitar and call themselves musicians.” — Spencer Doar, Minnesota Daily

tracklist

1. Hot Tonight
2. What I Know
3. Lancelot’s Tune (Guinevere) (Buskin & Batteau)
4. Drop Down Mama
5. Urge for Going
6. Statesboro Blues (David Bromberg)
7. Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine (Dom Flemons)
8. Child’s Song
9. Drivin’ Wheel
10. Get Together (Jonathan Edwards)
11. No Regrets/Rockport Sunday
12. Who Do You Love
13. Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm