...And the Tin Pan Bended and the Story Ended...

by Dave Van Ronk

Overview

Dave Van Ronk did as much as anyone to midwife and instill quality control in the urban folk boom of the early '60s, and his death in 2002 signaled for many the passing of an era. Now Smithsonian Folkways has issued his last concert, held in October 2001 in Takoma Park, and from the opening song, a delicately sung version of Scrapper Blackwell's "Down South Blues," it is obvious that listeners are in the midst of an autumnal performance. Van Ronk's deliberate jazz phrasing is still there, as are the signature guitar skills, but the gruff power in his voice is all but gone, replaced by a soft, hoarse whisper, and there are many times when you can hear his difficulty drawing breath in the spaces between singing. All of this brings a tremendous intimacy and poignancy to several of the songs here, and the hushed delivery gives songs like Len Chandler and Bob Kaufman's "Green, Green Rocky Road" an uncommon power to connect. The between-song comments by Van Ronk (who had just learned of his cancer diagnosis prior to the show) reveal an intelligent, humorous man with a tremendous passion for music, particularly jazz, and a hornman's sense of timing. Every song here carries a graceful sense of urgency, but Van Ronk's versions of Jimmie Cox's "Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out)" and Tom Paxton's "Did You Hear John Hurt?" are particularly powerful, and on the former song, Van Ronk sounds remarkably like Louis Armstrong or a casually relaxed and resigned Tom Waits. Newcomers to Van Ronk's music should probably sample his earlier albums first, since they give a clearer version of this performer in his prime, but longtime friends and fans will find the dignity, grace, and intimacy of this last show to be a very special farewell. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	06/29/2004
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074015629
Rank:	78765

Tracks

1. Down South Blues
2. Dave Speaks
3. You've Been a Good Old Wagon
4. Dave Speaks
5. Don't You Leave Me Here
6. Dave Speaks
7. Did You Hear John Hurt?
8. Dave Speaks
9. Green, Green Rocky Road
10. Dave Speaks
11. Jelly Jelly
12. Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out)
13. Dave Speaks
14. One Meatball
15. Buckets of Rain
16. Dave Speaks
17. Sometime (Whatcha Gonna Do)
18. Sportin' Life Blues
19. Dave Speaks
20. Ace in the Hole
21. Dave Speaks
22. St. James Infirmary
23. Thank You
24. Urge for Going

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dave Van Ronk   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

Stephanie Smith   Archivist
Dave Van Ronk   Adaptation,Arranger,Composer
George Mitchell   Composer
Dan Sheehy   Production Supervisor
Bob Kaufman   Composer
D.A. Sonneborn   Production Supervisor
Joe Primrose   Composer
Joel Katz   Photography
Jeff Place   Archivist
Hy Zaret   Composer
Richard James Burgess   Marketing
Tom Paxton   Composer,Annotation,Liner Notes
Dave Peabody   Photography
John Isaac   Photography
James Dempsey   Composer
Judy Barlas   Coordination
David Eisner   Engineer,Annotation,Liner Notes
Aaron Rennert   Photography
Raymond Sullivan   Photography
Susan Phillips   Photography
Jacob Love   Editorial Assistant
James Cox   Composer
Joe Deuel   Photography
Toby Dodds   Management
Mary Monseur   Production Coordination
Carla Borden   Editing
Andrea Vuocolo   Producer,Annotation,Photography,Introduction
Ryan Hill   Marketing
Walter Brown McGhee   Composer
John "BJ John" Smith   Marketing,Promotions Director
Norman van der Sluys   Assistant Engineer
Sharon Seidel Vargas   Photography
Helen Lindsay   Public Relations
Lee Michael Demsey   Marketing
Sonya Cohen Cramer   Design,Layout Design
Traditional   Composer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Billy Eckstine   Composer
Christine Lavin   Producer
Elijah Wald   Annotation,Track Notes
John Henry   Composer
Len Chandler   Composer
Pete Reiniger   Sound Supervision
Joni Mitchell   Composer
Lou Singer   Composer
Phil Klum   Mastering
Ronnie Simpkins   Audio Supervisor
Earl Hines   Composer
Mitch Greenhill   Executive Producer
Mark Gustafson   Marketing