A Stranger Here
| A Stranger Here | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 7, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | July 21 – 29, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Folk, country blues | |||
| Label | ANTI- | |||
| Producer | Joe Henry | |||
| Ramblin' Jack Elliott chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Boston Phoenix |  [2] |
| Filter | 84%[3] |
| Mojo |  [4] |
| NME | 8/10[5] |
| The Observer | [6] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[7] |
| Q | [8] |
| Record Collector | [9] |
| Slant Magazine | [10] |
| Under the Radar | 7/10[11] |
A Stranger Here is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 2009. It reached number 5 on the Billboard Top Blues albums charts.[12]
At the 52nd Grammy Awards, A Stranger Here won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Track listing
[edit]- "Rising High Water Blues" (Blind Lemon Jefferson) – 3:55
- "Death Don't Have No Mercy" (Reverend Gary Davis) – 6:08
- "Rambler's Blues" (Lonnie Johnson) – 5:14
- "Soul of a Man" (Blind Willie Johnson) – 4:16
- "Richland Women Blues" (Mississippi John Hurt) – 4:25
- "Grinnin' in Your Face" (Son House) – 3:55
- "New Stranger Blues" (Tampa Red) – 3:25
- "Falling Down Blues" (Furry Lewis) – 4:53
- "How Long Blues" (Leroy Carr) – 4:44
- "Please Remember Me" (Walter Davis) – 4:03
Personnel
[edit]- Ramblin' Jack Elliott – vocals, guitar
- Greg Leisz – guitar, dobro, mandolin, mandola, Weissenborn
- Jay Bellerose – drums, percussion
- Keith Ciancia – piano, keyboards
- Van Dyke Parks – piano, vibraphone
- David Piltch – upright bass
- David Hidalgo – guitar, accordion
Production notes:
- Joe Henry - producer
- Ryan Freeland – engineer, mixing
- Gavin Lurssen – mastering
- Anabel Sinn – design
- Michael "Mick" Wilson – photography
Chart positions
[edit]| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Billboard Top Blues Albums | 5 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Reviews for A Stranger Here by Ramblin' Jack Elliott". Metacritic. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Drozdowski, Ted (March 30, 2009). "Ramblin' Jack Elliott - A Stranger Here". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Ramblin' Jack Elliott has teamed up with producer Joe Henry to deliver a starkly dimensional and soulful collection of dark blues. [Winter 2009, p.94]
- ^ It's on those songs that strike a chord with Elliot personally that he's most convincing. [May 2009, p.103]
- ^ Harris, Tessa (April 3, 2009). "Album Review: Ramblin' Jack Elliot". NME. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Yates, Steve (March 15, 2009). "Folk review: Ramblin' Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here". The Observer. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Horowitz, Steve (April 8, 2009). "Ramblin' Jack Elliott: A Stranger Here". PopMatters. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Now in his 78th year, all that know-how has been meaningfully brought to bear on this collection of vintage, Depression-era blues. [May 20009, p.112]
- ^ Holmes, Tim (March 28, 2009). "A Stranger Here - Ramblin' Jack Elliott". Record Collector. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Keefe, Jonathan (April 5, 2009). "Review: Ramblin' Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ The pre-WWII country blues that the 77-year-old honed under the tutelage of Woody Guthrie are in full bloom on 'The New Stranger Blues' and 'Soul of A Man'. [Spring 2009, p.77]
- ^ Allmusic entry for A Stranger Here. Accessed June 7, 2009.
