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

Armory Mural On Hold... But Coming Along

This summer Mark Poirier of the Armory Arts & Music Center asked if I would be interested in doing a mural on the Historic Armory. It would be something to show passersby that something is happening, keep a little buzz going with regards to the renovation. 

As one who believes in public art and have written frequently about it, I decided to yield to Mark's periodic encouragement to consider it. It's a 17 foot wide by 13 foot high space. What would you paint if this was your project?

I conceived a concept and presented the idea. With a few modifications it was a go and we proceeded. 

The concept for the mural was Inspiration. I reached out to an informal group of local artists and pitched my idea, and an invitation to participate. I wrote:

My idea for this mural would be to have a dozen 18’x 18” panels distributed to artists who would paint something in keeping with the theme to be detailed below. This is an exterior wall. The panels will be screwed to the large wall as shown below.

THEME: INSPIRATION FROM THE ARMORY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

In other words, you may create something based on one of the multitude of performers and celebrities who been guests of the Armory from Harry Truman to Johnny Cash, Will Rogers to Bob Hope. OR you may get the inspiration for your painting from the beautiful lake, the Rose Garden, Leif Erickson Park or whatever moves you.

My aim was to give maximum freedom and let the creative juices flow. 

My original ideas evolved for the central portion. And during the winter it will evolve some more, I suspect. At first, I envisioned a ten foot portrait of Dylan, who found early inspiration from seeing Buddy Holly here a few days before his untimely death. This evolved to a smaller Dylan portrait in the lower right and a man holding a torch in the center, which then evolved to placing Robert Johnson, the blues guitarist, singer/songwriter who proved so influential in the Deep South, a recognized master of the Delta Blues style that influenced so many of the musicians that rocked the world in the 60s. You can read more about Robert Johnson and his influence here.

Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited is a tribute to the famed Blues Highway, which runs up the center of the country from there to here, to the front door of the Historic Duluth Armory. 

Sing Your Song is the title of a 2011 documentary about Harry Belafonte which many of us saw at the DuSu Films Festival a number of years ago. Belafonte was more than an entertainer. He was also a Civil Rights activist. His connection to the mural is this. When Bob Dylan left Minnesota for the Big City, he was famously brought into the Columbia family of recording artists by John Hammond, who signed many other famous artists including Billy Holiday. (Some called Dylan "Hammond's Folly" when his first album seemed not to find an audience.) Belafonte was recording his album The Midnight Special and Dylan was hired to play harmonica on the title track, one of Dylan's first "official" recordings in New York.

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CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Sue Rauschenfes, Linda Glisson, Edna Stromquist, Molly Overden, Christie Eliason, Virginia Alexander, Kris Nelson, Margie Helstrom, Rosemarie Guttormsson, Lulu and Tubbs. And myself. 

Related Links

A Visit to the Buddy Holly Crash Site

Historic Duluth Armory

The Role Played by the Armory During the Spanish Flu 

Highway 61 Revisited was the title for John Bushey's Dylan-themed radio show that ran for more than 26 years on KUMD. Miriam Hanson is the current host of this valuable program. 

Highway 61 Revisited -- A Few Notes About the Song and the Show

Last night's KUMD radio show Highway 61 Revisited was devoted to testimonies about the show and what it has meant to so many listeners over the course of 25 years. Host John Bushey brought various guests and friends into the studio to share stories and pick a favorite song for him to play. You could tell by everyone's comments during the hour that John is much loved and appreciated.

In 2014 I had a chance to interview John and learned about a few of his other passions beyond Dylan, though in reality they're all quite inter-related. It's a good read worth revisiting.

In thinking about this radio program it dawned on me that I've never written anything about the song itself, and thought it worthy of some attention as we head toward next Saturday's 25th anniversary celebration of the show.

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John Bushey's weekly Dylan hour, of course, took its name from the ground-breaking album of the same name, just as Rolling Stone magazine pilfered its name from the Dylan song. The song is so surreal that even long-time listeners might fail to get its significance without a few clues.

First Clue: Highway 61 is a real place. 
If you grow up in some other part of the world, Highway 61 probably has little real meaning or connection to this part of the world. Many of Dylan's songs, however, have literal geographic references (e.g. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Tonight.) That Highway 61 is in Northern Minnesota would only seem significant as a marker on a map that gets included in a song by a Minnesota songwriter. But the highway is much more than this, as will soon be noted.

My first trip to Mexico took place at Christmastime 1977. It surprised me -- but made a noticeable impact -- to learn that Highway 35 that runs through Duluth is the only road you need to know, a direct route to the Border. Roads are like ribbons that connect places.

So it is that Highway 61 is also an Ariadne's thread that helps pull one through the labyrinthine lyrics of this song or, literally, across the midsection of the country from North to South.

Second Clue: The Crossroads
Highway 35 takes you south to the border. Highway 61 carries you south to the Mississippi Delta, home of the blues. In fact, it's nicknamed the Blues Highway as it runs through Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. At one end of Highway 61 you find the Iron Range and the North Country. At the other end you find the roots of American blues music.

Along the way, there in the Deep South, you find the crossroads where Robert Johnson purportedly sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his ability to play the blues, at the intersection where 61 crosses Route 49. (See Oh Brother Where Art Thou.) This story of Robert Johnson has achieved legendary stature in the music world. (Read more about Robert Johnson and Crossroads here.)

Third Clue: Abraham

John Bushey @ Cheapo Discs, Minneapolis*

It's such a strange opening line. God said to Abraham, 'Kill me me a son....'  This was written while the Supremes were signing "Stop in the name of love" and Herman's Hermits were singing "Can't you hear my heartbeat." The Beatles were making "Help" and the Beach Boys were singing "Help Me Rhonda."

Historically, knowing the stories of the Bible was an aspect of cultural literacy. I'm not sure how well known these stories are any more. In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, you can find the seminal tale of how a man named Abram was called by God to leave his father's home to go live in another land. Beginning in chapter 12 we see a series of incidents in which Abram becomes Abraham, the historical Patriarch of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. It is a series of stories about the development of his faith, and the covenant God made with him. The specific story referenced in this song takes place in Genesis 22.

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For more about this song, you can check out Tony Atwood's dissection here at his Untold Dylan blog, which begins with Atwood noting that Dylan's father was also named Abraham.

Dylan has performed this song live nearly 1800 times over the past 50 years, including Friday night at Desert Trip. One of my favorite versions is the opening track on his Real Live album, performed during his 1984 European Tour.

Highway 61 Revisited 

Oh God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son”
Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on”
God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?”
God say, “You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin’ you better run”
Well Abe says, “Where do you want this killin’ done?”
God says, “Out on Highway 61”

Well Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose
Welfare Department they wouldn’t give him no clothes
He asked poor Howard where can I go
Howard said there’s only one place I know
Sam said tell me quick man I got to run
Ol’ Howard just pointed with his gun
And said that way down on Highway 61

Well Mack the Finger said to Louie the King
I got forty red, white and blue shoestrings
And a thousand telephones that don’t ring
Do you know where I can get rid of these things
And Louie the King said let me think for a minute son
And he said yes I think it can be easily done
Just take everything down to Highway 61

Now the fifth daughter on the twelfth night
Told the first father that things weren’t right
My complexion she said is much too white
He said come here and step into the light, he says hmm you’re right
Let me tell the second mother this has been done
But the second mother was with the seventh son
And they were both out on Highway 61

Now the rovin’ gambler he was very bored
He was tryin’ to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We’ll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61
Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros. Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music

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The celebration next weekend is at The Rex inside the Fitger's Complex in Duluth. The event will feature live music by Cowboy Angel Blue and The Boomchucks (a.k.a. The Freewheelers) plus (rumor has it) an assortment of special guests. I'm expecting surprises. Magic Marc Percansky will be on hand as Master of Ceremonies, so you can count on this being a very special evening. 

There will also be quite a few items generously donated for a silent auction to defray costs and provide seed money for next year's Duluth Dylan Fest. (Here's a link to a few of these items.)

For tickets visit Eventbrite. 

See you at the show.

*The album in John's hands is Bringing It All Back Home, signed and submitted to the show for this event. The mural on the wall at Cheapo Discs (a.k.a. Cheapo Records) features Highway 61 Revisited.