Jim James on new Mermaid Avenue record

[ALady]

Very interesting....

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid%3A862638

In pertinent part:

Alongside Jim James and Anders Parker, [Will] Johnson is also taking part in Jay Farrar's version of Mermaid Avenue, recording original music based on unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics at the behest of his daughter, Nora Guthrie.

[aMillionDreams]

Fantastic!  I love the first two volumes, especially the first.  I'm sure our boy would make Woody proud.  :)

[Love Dogg]

Fantastic!  I love the first two volumes, especially the first.  I'm sure our boy would make Woody proud.  :)

YESSSSS!  I'm new to the whole Wilco thing, and Penny introduced me to the whole Mermaid Avenue thing.  I always wondered how Jim missed out on this...but it turns out he didn't!

The article also confirmed that Will is playing drums on the MOF tour too!

I love it when a plan comes together!

[el_chode]

Wait wait wait - is this Mermaid Volume, vol 3, or is this Jay Ferrar being spiteful and setting out to prove he can do it better?

Didn't Dylan hand-pick Tweedy/Bragg to do the songs, and is this Guthrie's daughter trying to bring out the true vision?

I'm so confused

[xmascriminal]

Wait wait wait - is this Mermaid Volume, vol 3, or is this Jay Ferrar being spiteful and setting out to prove he can do it better?

Didn't Dylan hand-pick Tweedy/Bragg to do the songs, and is this Guthrie's daughter trying to bring out the true vision?

I'm so confused

Me too. I love the original albums, so I'd probably be excited if I had some idea what was going on. Will Billy Bragg and Wilco have anything to do with this?

[Janet]

I must say...I hope not.  I think Jay would have a fantastic take on Woody's stuff and Jay does not get his due credit.  He so reminds me of Neil Young in that his sonic landscape creates such a particular atmosphere...what a great fit!

[aMillionDreams]

Wait wait wait - is this Mermaid Volume, vol 3, or is this Jay Ferrar being spiteful and setting out to prove he can do it better?

Didn't Dylan hand-pick Tweedy/Bragg to do the songs, and is this Guthrie's daughter trying to bring out the true vision?

I'm so confused

No, Nora Guthrie handpicked them. She first presented the songs to Bob Dylan but he felt he needed to focus on his own work at the time (this was the mid 60s).

The Jay Farrar/Tweedy thing is kind of weird but it may just boil down to Nora Guthrie being an Uncle Tupelo fan.

[Sassbox]

If you have a chance, watch Man in the Sand, the documentary about the recording of Mermaid Avenue:  http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Bragg-Wilco-Making-Mermaid/dp/B00005A1TE

I'm so excited about this!  :D  Whoever said Jay Farrar does not get his due is spot on (saw Son Volt at the 9:30 a few days ago...mmm).

[aMillionDreams]

This is gonna drop in January 2012 on Rounder Records according to Son Volt's website. http://www.sonvolt.net/

Jay has been collaborating with Anders Parker (Varnaline, Gob Iron), Will Johnson (Centro-matic) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket) on a collection of Woody Guthrie songs. This album will be released on Rounder in January 2012. More info about this release soon. 2012 marks the centennial anniversary of Woody Guthrie's birth. Nora Guthrie has been working very hard to fill 2012 with very cool concerts and releases. Please check out the website for all things Woody!

[kotchishm]

Their particular album in the Box Set is called New Multitudes

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/08/jay-farrar-jim-james-woody-guthrie-tribute-mermaid-avenue-box-set-coming-soon/

[lucylew]

My jaw dropped reading this.  Wowzie!  I sure do hope that Jim and Jay sing together on a song. 

[smhoffmann02]

Awesome!  Surely another great collaborative effort for us fans to enjoy.  :)

[Cameron]

can't wait!

[liverustdave]

Wait wait wait - is this Mermaid Volume, vol 3, or is this Jay Ferrar being spiteful and setting out to prove he can do it better?

Didn't Dylan hand-pick Tweedy/Bragg to do the songs, and is this Guthrie's daughter trying to bring out the true vision?

I'm so confused

No, Nora Guthrie handpicked them. She first presented the songs to Bob Dylan but he felt he needed to focus on his own work at the time (this was the mid 60s).

The Jay Farrar/Tweedy thing is kind of weird but it may just boil down to Nora Guthrie being an Uncle Tupelo fan.

Just catching up on some old posts and thought I'd comment here.  I thought Dylan's version (Chronicle) is Woody offered him the songs in the hospital.   Dylan took the bus and trekked through the rain only to get there, Nora and young Arlo standing there looking at Bob like a crazy person, and they told him to come back at a better time.  He never did and then Billy got the call from Nora decades later.  It's been a while but Dylan's book is a great read.  I'm fairly certain he had a regretful tone that he never got his hands on those songs (especially since Woody was his first best hero and even spent time with him at the hospital).  I just can't see him "being too busy".  But I'm biased as a Dylan fan. That Dylan/MMJ run from Red Rocks to Telluride was breathtaking.

[Penny Lane]

Wait wait wait - is this Mermaid Volume, vol 3, or is this Jay Ferrar being spiteful and setting out to prove he can do it better?

Didn't Dylan hand-pick Tweedy/Bragg to do the songs, and is this Guthrie's daughter trying to bring out the true vision?

I'm so confused

No, Nora Guthrie handpicked them. She first presented the songs to Bob Dylan but he felt he needed to focus on his own work at the time (this was the mid 60s).

The Jay Farrar/Tweedy thing is kind of weird but it may just boil down to Nora Guthrie being an Uncle Tupelo fan.

Just catching up on some old posts and thought I'd comment here.  I thought Dylan's version (Chronicle) is Woody offered him the songs in the hospital.   Dylan took the bus and trekked through the rain only to get there, Nora and young Arlo standing there looking at Bob like a crazy person, and they told him to come back at a better time.  He never did and then Billy got the call from Nora decades later.  It's been a while but Dylan's book is a great read.  I'm fairly certain he had a regretful tone that he never got his hands on those songs (especially since Woody was his first best hero and even spent time with him at the hospital).  I just can't see him "being too busy".  But I'm biased as a Dylan fan. That Dylan/MMJ run from Red Rocks to Telluride was breathtaking.

true..is that Down the Highway? loved that book--

[aMillionDreams]

Wait wait wait - is this Mermaid Volume, vol 3, or is this Jay Ferrar being spiteful and setting out to prove he can do it better?

Didn't Dylan hand-pick Tweedy/Bragg to do the songs, and is this Guthrie's daughter trying to bring out the true vision?

I'm so confused

No, Nora Guthrie handpicked them. She first presented the songs to Bob Dylan but he felt he needed to focus on his own work at the time (this was the mid 60s).

The Jay Farrar/Tweedy thing is kind of weird but it may just boil down to Nora Guthrie being an Uncle Tupelo fan.

Just catching up on some old posts and thought I'd comment here.  I thought Dylan's version (Chronicle) is Woody offered him the songs in the hospital.   Dylan took the bus and trekked through the rain only to get there, Nora and young Arlo standing there looking at Bob like a crazy person, and they told him to come back at a better time.  He never did and then Billy got the call from Nora decades later.  It's been a while but Dylan's book is a great read.  I'm fairly certain he had a regretful tone that he never got his hands on those songs (especially since Woody was his first best hero and even spent time with him at the hospital).  I just can't see him "being too busy".  But I'm biased as a Dylan fan. That Dylan/MMJ run from Red Rocks to Telluride was breathtaking.

Yeah, you're right.  From Chronicles, Vol. 1.

[GO4IT]

Update on the upcoming album....

"Early in 2012 American alt.country types Jay Farrar and My Morning Jacket's Jim James will release New Multitudes, an album of new songs based on some of the thousands of unrecorded lyrics left by Woody Guthrie after his death in 1967."

http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/unfinished-business-writing-songs-dead

I guess Jim is now an "alt.country" type.

[Cameron]

they're touring on it too!  wish they were coming to my neck of the woods.  would love to hear jim and jay together.

from paste:

Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Gob Iron, Uncle Tupelo), Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk), and Anders Parker (Varnaline, Gob Iron) have announced they will tour in support of their album New Multitudes this upcoming spring. The album is a Woody Guthrie tribute, which will be released the album on Feb. 28 via Rounder Records to coincide with Guthrie's 100th birthday celebration.

Check out their tour dates below.

March
6 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Filmore
7 – Lost Angeles, Calif. @ Music Box
9 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom
10 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox
12 – Washington, D.C. @ The Birchmere
13 – Philadelphia, Penn. @ Union Transfer
14 – New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall
16 – Boston, Mass. @ Paradise

[JerseyDan]

i loosely recall the lyrics taken for this project were culled from Guthrie's days in LA, as apposed to Wilco/Bragg which was his Brooklyn days (hence the name, Mermaid Ave, for you not familiar with the area)

[Jaimoe]

Sounds interesting, although I'll miss Bragg. His tunes are the best.