Nevada Bob Gordon Is On the Road Again

Nevada Bob at the grave of Robert Johnson.

There's something about surviving cancer that not only gives you "a new lease on life" but also a new attitude toward all of your future experiences. Nevada Bob Gordon had two things going for him: a wonderful lifelong love of 58 years and a willingness to do whatever hard work was necessary to make a go of whatever they had to face. 

That cancer at age 31 ought to have killed him. The doctors told him that he was finished. But Bob had other plans. This past year his wife Carol passed and Nevada Bob, who has an authoritative deep baritone voice, wrote a song for her which he recorded on his first album Long Train To Nowhere. "Carol's Song" is beautiful and heartfelt, in a Johnny Cash sort of way.

With the advent of the pandemic he decided also to write a book and is currently in talks with a potential publisher. 

There are some things Nevada Bob has in common with Bob Dylan. After Bob (Dylan) recorded Blonde On Blonde in Nashville, he went back and recorded another, an then another. So, it seems, Nevada Bob has just completed his second album.... in Nashville. 

Come along and ride this train.  

But there are two more pieces of that story. One of the key session musicians of Nashville's A-Team back in the 60s was Charlie McCoy, who played guitar on "Desolation Row" (recorded in New York) and a variety of instruments during Dylan's sessions in Nashville, including that Salvation Army trumpet accompaniment on "Rainy Day Women". Nearly sixty years later, and Charlie McCoy was there in the studio two weeks ago for Nevada Bob's second album, just has he had been there for Bob on Long Train To Nowhere.

There's one more parallel to the Dylan story I will add. No question about it, Dylan was not shy about photographers documenting nearly every aspect of his life. Nevada Bob has a photographer accompanying him, too. Gary Firstenbrg is a first rate photographer who has a passion for all things related to music history, especially the blues. The photos here are just a small portion of the images in my folder from their journey together through points of interest in the Deep South, courtesy Gary Firstenberg.

A lot of history down there.

Studio time.

Hanging out with an old friend.

After hours kickin' back with the boys.

Big mic for a big man.

Everything is bigger in Texas.

Nevada Bob with Charlie McCoy

Jokerman.

These boots are made for walkin'.

Just passin' through, singing the Delta blues.

Tailgating with Dolly Parton.

Ending where B.B. King had his beginning.

If a picture is worth a thousand words.... there's a lot of new stories here. Have a safe trip back to Nevada, Bob.

Links

Come Along and Ride Nevada Bob Gordon's Long Train to Nowhere

Gary Firstenberg's Turning Negatives Into Positives